Blood and Water
by wwsadd
Summary: is blood really thicker than water? even holy water? Andromeda, nickname Andie, Danvers is about to find out... enter demon hunter, stage left.
1. Sneak Peak

**Okay, first of all, I'm back! Ha ha. Anyways, I just can't seem to get away from my crossovers, so here's another. I don't know quite where it's going yet—I actually started out with a story that was exactly opposite, but I think I might like this better… maybe. **

**Who knows? Maybe I'll delete it and write the other one instead… it all depends on reviews!!**

_**~wwsadd**_

Prologue:

The fire was dancing, throwing flames high up into the sky. I laughed, draining what was in the plastic red cup that someone had handed me. What a way to celebrate my sophomore year. Too bad classes started again on Monday… I wanted Winter Break to last forever.

The night was clear, the large bonfire throwing enough heat to chase away the January chill.

And even better? My brother and his stupid friends hadn't even shown up yet. I didn't really even remember why I was mad at them… I'd forgotten three plastic red cups ago.

People were dancing, and I moved along in time to the beat, surprised when someone's hands landed on my hips. No one around here got that close to me… oh yeah! That's why I was mad.

I turned, leaning into the person. He must be new in town… worked just fine for me! I let my hands slide up his very toned chest and land on his shoulders. He had the deepest hazel eyes I'd ever seen. And his light, shaggy hair was tousled carelessly.

It was official; I'd never seen him in Ipswich before. "What's a pretty girl like you doin' dancin' all by yourself?" He asked, the firelight dancing off the metal of a small ring in his ear. He definitely seemed like the Casanova type.

I snickered, while mentally thanking whatever higher power was out there that I held my liquor so well. "Apparently you haven't met my overbearing older brother." I said, cocking my head to one side and smiling my most dazzling smile at him.

He smirked. "Is that so?" I nodded, pouting. His hands pulled my hips closer to his, as they swayed in time to the blaring music. "I'll take my chances." He said with a wink.

I laughed. "Finally! Someone who isn't a complete and total pansy!" I said dramatically, adding an eye roll so he'd know I was kidding. "I'm Andie Danvers, I'm a sophomore at Spenser. You must be new."

He let go of me as the song ended. Offering me his hand to shake, he leaned in to talk over the next song that was screaming from the large speakers. "Dean Winchester. I just moved here. I'll be starting, well, ending my junior year on Monday." He told me.

His lips were so close to my ear that I was getting goosebumps down the back of my neck… the good kind. He definitely didn't look like the typical Spenser stereotype, and I was all the more drawn to him for it.

"My brother and his idiotic friends are juniors too." I warned him.

"Hmmm…what if I'd rather hang out with you?" He asked, and I could hear the note of a joke in his voice.

I grinned. He might be a player, but boy was he attractive… and he didn't seem to be sidetracked by my family. The way I saw it, all be it through a haze of Rum and Coke, it couldn't hurt to have a little fun.

"Well, maybe that can be arranged." I said, pulling him by the front of his shirt deeper into the crowd of dancers.


	2. Chapter 1: buy me a drink?

**Okay, I'm heading off to school now, and won't be around a computer for a week or so. But here's chapter one in my newest story!**

**Leave lots of reviews and I'll have another chapter ready for when I finally have internet access again!**

**Oh, and I own nothing-welcome to college :P**

**_~wwsadd_  
**  
Chapter One: Buy me a Drink?

"Where do you think you're going?" I spun around, and smirked at my one and only girl-friend.

She was a year older than me, but we'd been friends since forever, and we were the only two girls on campus that didn't seem to think they should bleach their hair blonde and spend half their day in a tanning bed. Maybe because we knew we were cool without it.

"Same place you're going." I said, turning back to face my mirror. I finished with the black eyeliner, added some green eye shadow that matched my eyes, and threw all my makeup back in a drawer.

"Riiiiight. Your brother is going to flip serious shit, Andie." I shrugged, yanking my waves of long black hair back into a messy bun, and slipping on black flip-flops.

"So not my problem. I'm not going tonight to hang out with my brother anyway." I reminded her. "I'm sick of all of 'em. They can kiss my ass." I said, stuffing some cash, my phone, and my room key in the pocket of my jeans.

"Oh, is that so?" She asked, heading into the hallway so I could shut off the light and pull the door closed.

"Yes. Everyone seems to love my brother to death… they miss the part where he's the world's biggest pain in the ass." I reminded her. She laughed, rolling her eyes and leading the way down the stairs.

We climbed in her Escalade. We always took turns driving, much to my displeasure. "You know he just feels the need to scare off all the boys because you're too pretty, and you've got that whole 'act-first, think-later' mentality thing going." She said mildly, turning up the sound on the radio.

She had a point. I liked to have fun, and lots of it. But someone had to even out my "perfect" older brother. I was more than up to the task.

"He's only a year older than me! He's not my father." I grumbled. The dark haired girl next to me had nothing to say to that. She thought my father was dead—everyone did. But it was a stupid lie.

We pulled up at the side of the raging party a few minutes later. I hopped out, inhaling the scent of burning driftwood and sea. I grinned down at my outfit. Time to raise a little hell.

I left Kate with some of her "cool" junior friends. Because of my brother and his friends, everyone knew who I was, but I had few friends my own age, which was fine by me, most of the people I went to school with annoyed the hell out of me.

Sauntering over to the makeshift bar, I leaned over to whisper in the kid's ear. His face turned red as I giggled, and he handed me a plastic red cup. I kissed him swiftly on the cheek and turned back toward the fire. Time for the real fun to start.

******

The fire was dancing, throwing flames high up into the sky. I laughed, draining what was in the plastic red cup that someone had handed me. What a way to celebrate my sophomore year. Too bad classes started again on Monday… I wanted Winter Break to last forever.

The night was clear, the large bonfire throwing enough heat to chase away the January chill.

And even better? My brother and his stupid friends hadn't even shown up yet. I didn't really even remember why I was mad at them… I'd forgotten three plastic red cups ago.

People were dancing, and I moved along in time to the beat, surprised when someone's hands landed on my hips. No one around here got that close to me… oh yeah! That's why I was mad.

I turned, leaning into the person. He must be new in town… worked just fine for me! I let my hands slide up his very toned chest and land on his shoulders. He had the deepest hazel eyes I'd ever seen. And his light, shaggy hair was tousled carelessly.

It was official; I'd never seen him in Ipswich before. "What's a pretty girl like you doin' dancin' all by yourself?" He asked, the firelight dancing off the metal of a small ring in his ear. He definitely seemed like the Casanova type.

I snickered, while mentally thanking whatever higher power was out there that I held my liquor so well. "Apparently you haven't met my overbearing older brother." I said, cocking my head to one side and smiling my most dazzling smile at him.

He smirked. "Is that so?" I nodded, pouting. His hands pulled my hips closer to his, as they swayed in time to the blaring music. "I'll take my chances." He said with a wink.

I laughed. "Finally! Someone who isn't a complete and total pansy!" I said dramatically, adding an eye roll so he'd know I was kidding. "I'm Andie Danvers, I'm a sophomore at Spenser. You must be new."

He let go of me as the song ended. Offering me his hand to shake, he leaned in to talk over the next song that was screaming from the large speakers. "Dean Winchester. I just moved here. I'll be starting, well, ending my junior year on Monday." He told me.

His lips were so close to my ear that I was getting goosebumps down the back of my neck… the good kind. He definitely didn't look like the typical Spenser stereotype, and I was all the more drawn to him for it.

"My brother and his annoying friends are juniors too." I warned him.

"Hmmm…what if I'd rather hang out with you?" He asked, and I could hear the note of a joke in his voice.

I grinned. He might be a player, but boy was he attractive… and he didn't seem to be sidetracked by my family. The way I saw it, all be it through a haze of Rum and Coke, it couldn't hurt to have a little fun.

"Well, maybe that can be arranged." I said, pulling him by the front of his shirt deeper into the crowd of dancers.

******  
Inevitably, however, the cops got called a couple hours later. "Do you have a ride back to school?" I asked, as we all scattered.

I headed toward the Escalade. He let go of my hand when we hit the cover of the trees, veering to the right. "Yeah, I'll catch you later Andie!" He called with a wink and a smirk. A couple people turned to stare at him. I couldn't help but be impressed by his car. '67 Impala, classic.

I threw myself in the passenger side as Kate took off. "Did the boys ever show up?" I asked, as she swerved to beat the rush and sped back onto the highway, shooting gravel everywhere.

She shook her head, looking disappointed. "They promised they'd be here and they bailed. Again, shocker." She said, apparently in a huff.

I sighed. "Sucks for you, rocks for me." I said, giggling.

She rolled her eyes. "You're still gonna get it later." I shrugged.

"Trust me, tonight was worth it." I told her, thinking of the way the mysterious boy's eyes sparkled in the firelight, like he was in on a joke no one else got.

"Well, we'll see who's laughing tomorrow." She bit back, imagining no doubt, the way Caleb and his friends were gonna freak out. Oooh, goody.


	3. Chapter 2: family matters

**Hey guys! I have the first five chapters of this completely done!  
so review!!**

_**~wwsadd**  
_  
Chapter Two: Family Matters

"You did _what_?" Here we go again. I gave my older brother the most condescending look I could manage.

"Are you deaf? Or just stupid?" I asked, shoving past him toward the kitchen. It was too early to have this argument. Okay, maybe it was two o'clock in the afternoon, but I'd only just woken up. What else are Sundays for?

Apparently they're for getting read the riot act. I don't know why even bothered going home every Sunday, I'd rather just stay at school. "Damn it Andromeda, I told you not to go last night." He lectured, following me.

"Don't you have better things to do than irritate the hell out of me?" I asked, reaching up on my tiptoes to grab a mug from the cabinet. Some days I really hated being only five two.

I poured the steaming liquid into the mug, adding a spoonful of sugar and taking a gulp of it. Coffee saved my life, I swear.

Caleb, apparently, wasn't going to let it go. "Why don't you ever listen to me?" He asked, throwing his hands up in the air. Way to be dramatic bro.

"Probably for the same reason you don't trust me! Jesus Caleb, nothing happened, I was with Kate! It's not my fault you guys failed to show up, again." I snapped.

"Something came up." He said, making it clear he didn't want to talk about it.

I rolled my eyes, glaring at my brother. How stupid did he think I was?

"Something always comes up Caleb. And don't play dumb with me. We both know what that's code for. Just because you and Pogue refuse to tell Kate about our families and the _curse_, doesn't mean that I don't know exactly what's going on. I may be a girl but I'm part of this family same as you." I replied angrily.

It was the same argument as always. I mean, I loved my brother and his friends- they raised me, seeing as I have two parents that are out of commission due to addictions to harmful substances.

But for crying out loud, I'm sixteen. They pretend like I never made it past ten. And their big "secret" was starting to wear on me too. I didn't have their "Power" to make anything happen with a flash of their eyes, and they apparently decided that due to that fact I should be treated like a child for the rest of my life.

I'd done it again; I'd crossed that line. My brother was the perfect one—4.0 GPA, takes care of his ailing parent (well, parents—but not many people were aware of that), raises his rebellious little sister, keeps his friends in line, on the fast track to Harvard, and is genuinely nice to everyone.

But I could piss him off like no one else could… well _almost_ no one else. Reid could give me a run for my money some days. When Caleb was mad, he was _mad_. And people should watch out.

"And I'm trying to keep you safe D!" He growled. "But you're making my job really hard. You want to be part of this family? Well then start acting like it!" He snapped, turning and exiting the large kitchen. Moments later I heard the front door slam and the soft purr of his Mustang.

I groaned, dropping to the high stool next to the center island and letting my head fall to the counter top. When did Caleb and I become enemies? When we were little, we never fought, about anything.

I guess it all started when I'd begun to resent him for trying to control me. When I started at Spenser, he'd gotten pushier and pushier. He knew absolutely everyone, and found it necessary to dictate who I could be friends with.

Before that, before the hell that is high school, Caleb and I were inseparable. Most boys hate their little sisters tagging along, but Caleb used to _drag_ me with him when he went to hang out with his friends.

Of course, our families were all friends, so naturally we were all tight. Pogue was Caleb's best friend, basically another older brother to me. I'd pushed him and Kate together their freshman year, and they'd been together ever since.

Tyler was my best friend, he was a year younger than the other boys, which made him just a couple months older than me. We were in the same grade all through school, and usually managed to have all the same classes. He was the only one that never talked down to me.

And then there was the infamous Reid Garwin. Ours was a love-hate relationship. We were the "bad kids" in the group, and therefore usually sided together on arguments that involved all of us.

On the other hand, he was worse than Caleb about treating me like a child. Which made him a huge hypocrite in my eyes—I mean, most of the stupid things I did were his idea to begin with. So we were either laughing our asses off and raising hell together, or at each others' throats—it just depended on the day.

When the boys turned thirteen, some things changed. They got Powers that had been handed down for generations. We'd all heard the stories when we were little, and it wasn't that much of a shock, at least not to me. The boys needed some time to adjust to everything.

That was when they started acting all high and mighty. It didn't bug me at first; I liked feeling like I had four guardian angels. But when I hit high school, it didn't seem as sweet. In fact, it was down right maddening when they started chasing off every guy that as much as asked me which way to the gym.

Until last night anyway. I thought again about Mr. Mysterious, as I'd come to refer to him in my mind. His eyes had secrets in them… I knew all about being bound to protect a secret, and it made me feel an instant connection.

"Hey D." I jumped, as a motorcycle helmet was dropped next to my coffee cup.

I shook myself out of my stupor. "Hey Pogue." I said, as he sat down next to me, grabbing my mug and draining it.

I stuck my tongue out at him and he chuckled. "I can assume Caleb's not here, right?" He asked. I laughed. We all walked in and out of each others' houses, it was like living four different places.

"Nope." I said, popping the 'p'.

"He mad?" Pogue was always so unconcerned. He leaned his elbows against the counter.

"As hell. I don't get the big damn deal." I recited. We'd had this conversation a million times too.

"He doesn't like you going to parties like that alone. None of us do—you know that. Especially not parties where Abbot is sure to be lurking around. We all know how much you like to drink." He said mildly, raising an eyebrow- daring me to contradict him.

I snickered. Aaron Abbot—it was like an after school special, the way he and my brother had to be the two feuding big-shots of Spenser Academy. "When are all of you gonna learn that I can take care of myself?" I asked, slipping off my stool, and going to pull a jug of orange juice out of the fridge and grabbing two glasses.

He took one of them from me, emptying it in seconds before answering me. "When you actually _can_ take care of yourself." He said, earning a smack on the shoulder. "Come on, we're supposed to meet everyone in town."

I loved Pogue's bike, I used to tease Kate that it was the only reason she was dating such a loser. It took us only a few minutes to reach our destination, and I climbed off the back, leaving the spare helmet on the seat.

"Ladies first." Pogue said, gesturing into the deserted diner we always met for lunch at on Sundays. It was the one tradition that hadn't changed.

I plopped down in the big round booth next to Tyler. Pogue slid in next to me. Caleb and Reid were sitting next to each other—that always meant trouble. The waitress came, delivering our regular drinks.

Ty nudged my shoulder with his as the girl walked away, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Somebody's in trouble." He sing-songed. I elbowed him.

"And that's news _how_ exactly?" I asked, earning a glare from my brother. We sat in silence for the better part of five minutes.

"I've already gotten the lecture guys, moving on." I said, when it seemed clear that no one really had anything to say that wasn't related to my blatant disregard of Caleb's rules.

"So I hear there's a new kid." Pogue said finally. "Just transferred here from someplace on the west coast." Spenser was a highly elite school, and most people only got in from generations of Spenser alum running in the family.

So when there were new students, it caused lots of talk. I hoped my face didn't turn red, I'd already met the new kid, and I wasn't about to share that information with the group.

"West coast? That's a long way to come for a year and a half of school. He must really be one of those tightly wound Harvard types." Reid said, shooting a dirty look at Caleb. Caleb was the definition of the Harvard type.

My brother, as usual, ignored the blond. I smiled to myself; Mr. Mysterious was definitely _not_ a carbon copy of my brother, thank god. "I guess we'll find out tomorrow." Caleb said, reminding us all that the month long break was over.

"Oh joy." I muttered, finishing my lunch and throwing the napkin on the empty plate. "Excuse me boys, I'm supposed to meet Kate for a movie. See you later at Nicky's." I said, crawling over Pogue to get out.

"D! We still need to talk about last night." Ty said, as I turned to walk away from the table.

I raised an eyebrow. "The only talking that should be done about last night is _you_ guys telling _me_ why you didn't show." I retorted.

My eyes caught Reid's. He looked quickly away so I knew I was right. They were fighting over Using their stupid Power, again. No wonder it was so quiet at the booth. Apparently their little Covenant meeting didn't go over so well, surprise surprise. No one answered me directly however, so I moved toward the door.

"That's what I thought." I said shortly, pushing the door open, and walking out onto the main street of Ipswich.

******

Kate and I were still laughing as we climbed into my new black F-250, a present from my non-existent parents for my sixteenth birthday two months ago. "That was the biggest waste of two hours of my life." She giggled, cranking up a ridiculous song on the radio.

"Really?" I asked pointedly. "I think getting lectured every Sunday for my Saturday night activities is the biggest waste of _my_ time." She shrugged in agreement.

"Did they freak out?" She asked, although she already knew the answer.

"Caleb did. Pogue was pretty mellow about it. They must have gotten in some sort of a fight last night, no one even asked me if I'd done anything that they'd have to kill someone for." I relayed, rolling my eyes and pressing on the gas pedal until we were going twice the legal speed limit.

She laughed, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Did you?" She asked, trying to keep a straight face. Again, she should know the answer to that.

I shrugged. "Duh."

Failing, she started laughing again. "And his name was...? I thought Caleb and Reid had scared off all the Spenser boys by now."

I smirked, pointing out the obvious. "New kid. His name's Dean Winchester. He's starting tomorrow as a junior. Definitely not normal Spenser boy material." I explained, imagining his eyes again.

Her eyes lit up, catching the mischief in mine. She squealed. "Ooooh! New guy! Awesome!" I laughed at her enthusiasm-- she was perfectly happy with Pogue, but she always had to check out every new person of the male variety. "Wait." She said, throwing her hands up in the air like she was stopping traffic. "Do you think he'll be at Nicky's tonight?"

I nodded. "He seems like the type. Wanna do me a favor?" I asked, putting on my 'you-know-you'll-regret-this-but-you're-still-gonna-help-me' smile.

Kate shook her head, sighing. "I'm gonna get in trouble aren't I?" I she asked, more stating a fact than asking a question.

I snickered. "Not as much trouble as I will." I assured her.

******

When we got to the bar later that night, I let my eyes sweep the place. The boys weren't here yet, but everyone else was- getting in their last party before school started back up the next morning. Kate sure looked nervous, all I'd asked her to do was distract the guys if Dean _was_ here. Not a criminal offense... despite what Caleb might see it as.

I was dressed to cause trouble again, this time in a pleated mini skirt and long-sleeved but low-cut black top. My wavy hair was loose, creating a thick black curtain that I could use to hide behind if need be. It was easy to ignore people if I could pretend not to see them. "I have a request." Kate asked, before taking off to the normal table in the center of the room.

"Shoot." I said, not really paying attention... the bar was calling my name.

"Pace yourself tonight. I'm not listening to you complain all day tomorrow." She said, not waiting for my snippy reply, but slipping through the throngs of people to wait for her always-late boyfriend.

I leaned over the old wooden bar, hollering at the large bald man. "Hey Nicky!"

He turned and grinned, pulling out a shot glass and setting it in front of me. "Hey Andie. Usual?" He asked. I nodded happily.

"You're a bit young to shoot whiskey like that." I heard, as I slammed the empty shot glass back on the dark wood of the bar. I turned, the vaguely familiar voice bringing a smirk to my face.

I turned to face my new friend. "Intimidated?" I asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

"Curious." He amended, slapping a bill down on the counter and throwing back the shot of Jack that Nicky'd slid to him.

"About?" I challenged. His smirk became more pronounced.

"I asked around, apparently you're off limits." He said, turning back to the bartender and buying another round. He placed one lightly in my hands. He held the other one up in a mock-toast, and I sighed contentedly as the burn down my throat warmed my whole body. I knew I needed to take it easy, my mother was digging her own grave with a glass of scotch.

But I couldn't really bring myself to care. "And? What are you going to do about it?" I asked, enjoying myself more than I usually did, sober anyway.

"You know, you're lucky that I was never much for rules." He said, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the dance floor.

We danced just like we had the night before, only this time I wasn't under a haze of alcohol-induced stupidity. Passingly, I thought that Kate should be proud of me, I was having fun without getting hammered.

And it was one less thing for Caleb and the boys to go ballistic about later. As soon as this thought occurred to me, I looked up to see them walking through the front door. Reid and Ty immediately veered off to the pool tables, while the older two made a beeline for Kate, still sitting, waiting, at the table. "Time to go." I said hastily, pulling Dean by the arm toward the back door.

He tensed, the look in his eye going from amused to alertly focused in a matter of a second. "What's wrong?" He asked, like I was running from a serial killer or something. His eyes scanned the dark bar intensely. I laughed, causing his head to whip back, his worried eyes meeting mine again.

"Where's the fire?" I asked. "I just thought maybe you wouldn't really want to meet my brother tonight, seeing as he spent his entire day seething over that party last night. We can stay if you _really_ want." I said, hinting at the fact that that would be a terrible idea. His posture relaxed, though it looked like it took him some effort to put the smirk back on his face.

"I think I can wait a little longer before getting into it with your family." He joked, letting me pull him out into the night.

I tried to tug him in the direction of my truck, but he yanked me toward his Impala, a mockingly outraged glare on his face. "I'm driving." He said.

I shrugged, and slipped into the front seat, waiting for the roar of the engine. "Where are we going?" I asked sweetly. He looked confused for a moment.

The confusion turned to humor when he realized that he had no idea. "Uh..." I rolled my eyes.

"Get back on the highway. You remember the Dells? Head that way." I instructed. When we got to the obscure turn-off, I directed him to the cliffs.

I hopped out as he cut the engine, and I started toward the steep drop. "What is this place?" He wondered, following behind me.

"It's called Marblehead. Me and my brother and our friends used to hang out here a lot when we were younger." I said, finally making it to the rugged, rocky edge and sitting down.

"Are you sure you want to be that close to the drop?" He asked, peering down into the dark depths below. I snickered.

"Don't tell me Mr. Mysterious is afraid of heights." I teased. He gave me a dirty look before sitting down next to me.

"Mr. Mysterious?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

I cocked my head to the side, letting my dark hair fall like an avalanche over my shoulder. "Nearly everyone in this town grew up together, and not only that, but their great-great grandparents grew up together. When we have new people... well it's like a shiny new toy or something. Kids at Spenser are going to be just as curious as I am, if not more so." I said, staring into the night sky.

After a moment, I was able to find the galaxy I was named after.

"So your brother...?" He asked, bringing me back down to reality. He let his question trail off.

I turned so I was looking at him. "Caleb is the golden boy of Spenser Academy. Everyone loves him, especially me. I just, I don't know, we're so different, and he acts like I'm just some misbehaving child still. And his friends... they raised me, they're my family you know? I guess I'm just at that rebellious teenager stage. They're still the most important people in the world to me though." I told him, and then stopped abruptly as my eyes widened. "And now I'm rambling. Stop me any time..." I trailed off.

He snickered. "It's alright, it sounds like you needed to vent a little." He teased, shoving me lightly with his shoulder.

I felt my face flush. "Sorry. They're like the 'in-crowd' at school, and that gives me the instant popularity by association, but I don't really care- I just want my brother and my friends back." I said darkly, realizing that I was sharing more with this stranger than I ever had with Kate or my few other real friends outside the Covenant.

His eyes locked with mine, and I felt like I would drown in them. He glanced away after a moment, freeing me. "Have you told _them_ that?" He asked.

I scoffed. "Right. 'Hey guys, I know you've all got exactly the lives you want now, but can we just go back to the way things were a couple years ago? K, thanks'. That would go over so well." I said sarcastically.

Dean tilted his head to the side, his messy light brown hair falling in his eyes. There was an emotion there that I couldn't read. Something between pain and hope. "Everyone wants their family to stay together Andie." He said, and his voice was off too.

It struck me that he hadn't said anything about his own family. I felt like an idiot for taking over the conversation. I was about to ask him about himself, when I heard a tune playing from somewhere. _'Hope you have got your things togeth-'_ Dean reached into his leather jacket and pulled out a cell phone.

"Dean Winchester." He suddenly sounded businesslike, until whoever was at the other end started speaking.

"Whoa, slow down Sammy. What's going on?" There was a short pause. "No. I want you to sit right there, you understand me? I will be there in fifteen minutes." He promised, clicking the phone shut.

He hopped to his feet, and leaned down to offer me his hand. "Sorry to cut things short. I gotta run. I'll drop you back at the bar." He said, hauling me to my feet and pulling me to the car.

"Is everything okay?" I asked. There wasn't a trace of humor left in his face- it was like he'd completely changed personalities.

His anxious gaze never left the winding road in front of him. "That was my little brother. He's thirteen, and a total moron." He said, as the Impala's wheels screeched on the wet ground. "He's my responsibility so..."

"Oh." I had nothing better to say. I knew how much Caleb hated it when people asked about our parents.

Dean half-laughed. "What, no smart-ass remark?" He asked, finally glancing at me.

I shrugged. "My big brother hates when people ask why I'm _his_ responsibility." I explained. "You don't have to tell me anything."

By now we were outside Nicky's again. Dean turned so his body was facing me, catching my eyes with his amazing hazel ones. "My mother died right after Sam was born, my dad-- is in investigation, and travels. So it's me and Sam against the world, you know? It's why I've got an off-campus apartment instead of staying in the dorms." He said. The honesty was reflected in his gaze.

I smiled. It was easy to see that Dean cared very much about his little brother. "Your turn." He said with a quick smile.

"My mother started drinking a lot a few years back, she never leaves the house, and taking care of her is probably harder on Caleb than taking care of me. And my dad... isn't around any more." I finished, not quite able to flat out lie when those eyes held mine.

I was looking down at the seat between us, wondering why on earth I felt the need to share so much with someone I'd just met. I stiffened when he reached out with one finger to pull my chin up. I didn't meet his eyes- I was in danger of saying way, way too much.

"Hey." He said softly. I took a deep breath before making eye contact. "At least you have your big brother. Take it from one, he loves you so much."

I was never one for tears, I grew up with boys, and crying was for girls. But my eyes started to sting. "Speaking of, you should probably go. Thanks for tonight." I said softly, leaning in to kiss him swiftly on the cheek before pulling myself out of his car.

"Hey Andie." He called through his open window, as he shifted gears and started to pull away.

I turned.

"I'll catch up with you tomorrow okay? Goodnight."

I smiled, making my way back into the smoky bar, a lot more content than I'd been in a long time.


	4. Chapter 3: halftold truths

**Hey guys! I really have nothing to say this time... except that I really do appreciate reviews!  
**_**~wwsadd  
**_  
Chapter three: Half-told Truths

It didn't take me long to make my way back to the table that my brother and friends were occupying. Dean's words still rang in my ears, and I was feeling uncommonly affectionate. I plopped down next to Caleb, giving him my most apologetic smile.

Unfortunately he didn't buy it. "Where the hell have you been?" He asked. I shot a glare at Kate. She shrugged, apparently not that sorry.

"Marblehead." I said truthfully.

"Why?" He didn't look like he'd gotten over the fight we'd had earlier yet.

I shrugged. "Because I felt like it." I said, trying not to snap, but what can I say? Old habits die hard.

"It's not a safe place to be alone." Tyler said, not helping any. Usually Ty defended me.

I stuck my tongue out at him. "We grew up on those cliffs; I haven't fallen to my death yet." I pointed out.

Apparently they were all going to take turns lecturing me. But it was Reid's reply that set me off. "Yeah, but we're always out there too." As if I was unable to keep myself from walking off the side of a cliff without them to steer me back.

I stood abruptly, pulling my keys from my small bag. "Well I'm so sorry I didn't ask one of you to come babysit me. My mistake. Next time I'll make sure to ask _permission_." I said contemptuously.

Something changed in Caleb's face then, like he was finally realizing something. "D…" He started. But I shoved the chair back so I could leave.

"Look, Caleb, you're my brother and I love you. But if you don't let go a little, you're going to lose me." I promised. My reply must have shocked them, because none of them called me back as I headed for the door.

I was fuming as I climbed into my truck. How was I supposed to have a real conversation with them when they didn't believe that I was capable of anything more than drinking and getting myself in trouble? Why did they think I did those things? For laughs? The only times they even felt the need to talk to me was when they were going off on what a screw-up I am… so sue me if I take what I can get.

I left the door unlocked to the room, knowing it would be late when Kate got back. Climbing into bed, I stared up at my ceiling, letting the conversation in Dean's car run through my mind again. A big part of me wanted him to be right. The part of me that was terrified that her family was disappearing in front of her eyes—the part of me that couldn't stand to think about what could possibly happen next fall, when the boys started turning eighteen, and the curse of our heritage started to suck the life out of them too.

These were the only times I let myself be weak. I refused to cry in front of them-Kate had never even seen me tear up. I was tough, but when I was alone in the dark, I let myself feel all the terror and uncertainty that I repressed during the daylight hours.

I cried silently, tears ghosting down my face. I wanted to run up the stairs to Reid and Tyler's room, bang on their door until one of them opened it with a smart-ass remark, and throw myself into one of their arms, begging them not to leave me behind.

But I couldn't do that. They already thought I was a baby; I couldn't solidify that belief by showing up at their door, crying and talking nonsense about the unpredictable future. I wished, more often than I'd ever admit, that I was still ten years old. That everything would make sense again, and that'd I'd be sure, again, that they loved me, and didn't just see me as an obligation—a girl born into a family of boys, that had no place with the Sons of Ipswich.

That was where the smaller part of my heart came in. The part that kept me from going stark-raving mad in their world of magic and shadows. It was the part that let me push them away, told me to survive on my own—because who knew how soon it would be before I _was_ all alone?

There were a lot of reasons why I could be labeled as "different"; my last name was only one. I didn't concern myself with the same things that the other girls in my class did. I could care less who was dating who, and what color prom dress was in vogue this year.

Because I had bigger things to worry about. There was no way to tell if it would be ten years or thirty, but someday I would be the only one left. I didn't have to worry about my life being over before it started, I was one hundred percent, entirely human. But the people that meant the most to me weren't, and I didn't know what I would do when I had to stand by and watch them kill themselves.

It was a long time before I'd cried myself out. The neon numbers on the alarm clock proclaimed that it was nearly two in the morning. Kate still wasn't back, but I wasn't worried, she was probably staying at Pogue's. Rolling over, I tried to drift to sleep, but was awoken by a soft knock on the door.

Pulling myself out of my bed, I stumbled over to it, furiously wiping at my eyes. I was shocked to see a still-dressed Tyler leaning against the door frame. "Ty, its past two; everything alright?" I asked, stepping back to let him in to the small dark room.

He collapsed on the side of my bed, his head falling onto my pillow. He patted the small spot next to him, and I curled up, letting my head rest on his shoulder. "No." He finally answered my question. I stiffened.

"What happened? Is everyone okay?" I asked in a rush. I couldn't lose my family yet.

"No one's okay right now. What you said at Nicky's earlier-" I breathed a sigh of relief that this was just a routine argument. I cut him off.

"Sorry Ty, but this isn't that important, I think we can just talk about it tomorrow."

He poked me in the side, causing me to squeal. "It _is_ important D. You told Caleb what he was most afraid to hear." He explained. "What we were all most afraid to hear. We're all terrified to lose you Andromeda." He said, using my full name- something he never did.

I sat up, propped up on my right hand, so that I could look at him directly. "Oh come on Tyler. We all know it will be the other way around, in the end." His eyes widened, and I clamped my mouth shut. We didn't talk about the guys Ascending, as a rule.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked, sitting up as well, so that his face was just a couple feet from mine. I scowled in the darkness.

"Like you don't know." He remained silent, an odd look in his eyes. I sighed, giving in. "Next fall… after next year in general, everything will be completely different, and I don't just mean that Caleb will be off at Harvard being a big shot. It won't be _me_ slipping away Tyler—I'll be the one that has to watch it happen and know that there is absolutely _nothing_ I can do to stop it." I told him honestly.

He still seemed to be searching for the words he wanted. "Andie, you know your brother… he's not like your dad. He'll be fine. Besides, you know there's no way he's leaving you alone. That's the last thing in the world he'd do. Who'd chase all the boys away?" He asked, a smile on his face. But I saw right through it. He was scared too, and it only made me panic more.

"Hey Ty?" I asked timidly, after taking a moment to let his words sink in. He raised an eyebrow, inviting me to continue. "Did you guys ever resent having me around all the time? I mean, I know that the Elders all just sort of thought it was a fluke, and mostly ignored my existence… but did you all think that too?" I asked my question in a rush- not sure I wanted to know the answer.

Apparently, the answer was to laugh hysterically at me. Until he caught the look on my face- he'd thought I was kidding. His face became incredulous. "You've got to be kidding me." He said sharply. I shrugged.

"Are you crazy? We knew we were special, knew you were special. Not many other generations had Daughters. We took it as a gift, D. It scared us when we all got the Power and you didn't—not that any of us would wish it on you, but we felt like maybe we shouldn't be around you anymore, like it probably wasn't safe for you to hang out with a bunch of kids that could burn down buildings with a blink of an eye." He said, and it seemed like he was far away.

My own laugh brought him back to the present. "Could? Don't you mean did? Caleb didn't talk to Reid for like, a week." I said, giggling at the memory. To be fair, no one liked that teacher, and it wasn't like she was inside when he lit it on fire.

Tyler laughed too. "Yeah, I guess. But seriously, if you ever question why we're all so… overbearing? It's because we're trying to make up for the danger you face by being part of this." He said, his eyes flashing in demonstration.

I rolled my eyes. "Danger-schmanger. You guys aren't badass enough to scare me." I teased, pushing him lightly.

He put on a mockingly outraged face. "Don't let Reid hear you say that." He warned. I laughed again. We both knew Reid had a soft-spot a mile wide, most people just never got to see it.

I yawned. "Thanks Ty, I think things will be better now- I promise I'll talk to Caleb in the morning." I said, hugging him tightly before he hopped off my bed and toward the door.

"Goodnight Andie." He said softly, pulling the door shut behind him. I laughed again as the lock clicked.

"Thanks Ty!" I hollered. I heard a far-off snicker in reply. It didn't take me long at all to fall asleep after that; all of my fears were calmed, at least for now.

The next morning, I pulled myself reluctantly out of bed. Throwing on my hideous Spenser uniform, I yanked my hair back into a sloppy ponytail and booked it to my first class. I'd meant to get up early and find Caleb before school started, but I was never a morning person.

Learning was easy for both Caleb and I, but he actually did the homework, making his grades much better than mine. I had no interest in school; I wasn't headed for college, despite how scandalized my poor mother may be. I wanted to go to a music school, I was a fairly decent dancer, and I was a master at the electric guitar.

So, obviously, I slept through classes like Trig and Biology. I just didn't care about 2+2 equaling 4… who gave a damn? The best part of being a Danvers, I'd decided by the first semester of my freshman year, was that the teachers were too in awe of you to ever reprimand you for doing anything they didn't like seeing in their classroom.

After my first class, I headed down a hall that housed junior classrooms, looking for my brother. I ran into someone close. "Hey Pogue!" I said brightly. "Where's Caleb?" I asked.

He shrugged. I may hate mornings, but Pogue couldn't even function before eleven a.m.

"Isn't he in your first class?" I asked, holding back a laugh.

He seemed to process what I was saying then. "Oh, yeah. He had to go talk to the Provost. Now what's this I hear about you thinking we resent you?" He said, walking me to my next class.

I growled playfully. "Tyler is such a tattletale." I muttered, causing Pogue to laugh momentarily, before returning to seriousness. I sighed. "I just thought you all might. You know, because I serve absolutely no purpose to the Covenant except to cause you all to freak out periodically." I said sarcastically, casting a quick look around, although the hallway was pretty deserted by this point.

He didn't speak until we'd arrived at the door to my next, and only enjoyable class. "Come on Andie. You know that's a bunch of BS. You don't have the Power— so what? Trust me; it's not that great, no matter what Reid says. And you know how boring our lives would be if we didn't sit around wondering what slightly-idiotic, usually funny stunt you're going to pull?" He asked.

I shoved him playfully. "Gee thanks. Love you too." I said, turning to go into my class- I was already five minutes late.

"Love you!" He yelled as I opened the door and slipped in, causing everyone inside to look up in curiosity. When they saw it was me, they all turned back to the choir teacher, unsurprised now.

"Miss Danvers. Thanks for joining us." I smiled sweetly.

"You're welcome!" I said, getting a dirty look that didn't completely mask the humor in Mr. Matthews face. He was the only one who openly contradicted me—being a new teacher, he didn't realize that I came from a long line of legends. But that was okay with me, it was nice for once not to be compared to generations of Danvers'.

Lunch was the only time we were all together. I raced to the mess hall, hoping to catch Caleb, though he was still nowhere to be seen. Plopping down next to Reid at our normal table, I played with the cap on my water bottle, still looking for my brother.

"Hey D, about last night." Reid started. I tried to refocus my attention. I hadn't realized at the time that I'd struck such a nerve with them.

I laughed at the contrite look on his face. "It's okay Reid. I've been reassured that I'm not _that_ big a pain in the ass." I said.

He smirked. "Says who?" I glared. "Kidding. But seriously- you know we love you right?" He said, and I could tell that he was trying to get this conversation over before the others got here. He had issues with being sentimental.

"Reid Garwin _loves_ somebody?" I asked sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes. "Tyler told me about last night—why would you ever think we don't want you around?" He asked, truly curious.

I shrugged, wondering how many times I'd have to go through this. Damn Dean and his philosophical bull shit. "When we were little, we used to be inseparable. I guess it just seems like now I'm more of an obligation than anything. I don't like feeling like a charity case Reid. I can make my own friends if you guys would just back off." I said, half-teasing, half-serious.

He answered me in the same fashion. "Not if I have anything to say about it. We're just going to have to be friends enough for you." He said. I stuck my tongue out. It didn't irritate me as much as it usually did though.

"Why?" I challenged.

He shrugged, self-conscious again. "Because I don't trust anyone else." He said. I was going to push him on it, but we were interrupted by the others showing up. My brother, naturally, was the last to arrive. I hopped to my feet and bounced over to where he'd just sat down.

Throwing my arms around his neck, I kissed him on the cheek. "Sorry Caleb." He looked surprised for a minute, before hugging me back. I wasn't usually one for apologies.

He scooted over so that there was room for me to sit right next to him. He left an arm over my shoulder. "Me too; truce?" He asked, smiling crookedly. I pretended to think about it for a minute.

"Oh, well I guess." I said dramatically, earning a laugh from everyone. "But if we're not arguing… what are we going to do?" I asked jokingly.

"I'm sure we'll think of something." Reid said, that familiar mischievous twinkle in his eye. I giggled as Caleb groaned.

"So what did the Provost want?" I asked, taking a drink of water.

"He asked me to show the transfer around." He answered, causing me to choke. He patted me on the back, giving me a quizzical look.

"How's that going for you?" I managed to splutter. Caleb shrugged.

"He seems alright. Nice kid-from California. He should be here soon; I offered to let him have lunch with us." He explained, ignoring Reid's rude remark about newcomers.

I got hastily to my feet. We'd just made up, there was no way I was starting another fight. "I forgot, I need to talk to Mr. Matthews about something, I'll catch you guys after school- we're still hanging out at Ty's house, right?" I confirmed.

"Yeah…" I didn't stick around to hear more. I made my way hurriedly to the hallway, smacking into the other person that'd I'd been hoping to see all day. I dragged him around a corner, though we weren't within eyesight of the table I'd just left.

"Hey, I was just looking for you." He said with a smile, grabbing my arms when I'd run into him, keeping me from falling on my ass in the middle of the crowded walkway. His eyes were still mesmerizing somehow, and my retort got lost as I drowned in them again.

"Are…you okay?" He asked, concern darkening his features as he pulled me to the side, near a wall of lockers.

I shook my head, to clear it, not to answer in the negative. "Fine. I just didn't want to see World War Three when you showed up in there." I teased. "So, talk about irony, my brother's you're tour guide."

Dean scoffed. "Yeah, you were right about him, pretty straight laced. Not nearly as much fun as you seem to be." He said with a laugh.

I smirked. "That's what they tell me." I quipped. He snickered.

"So, I take it you'd rather me not say anything to him about last night, right?" He asked, after a moment. I nodded pleadingly.

"I took your advice, and told them how I feeling—it was good to get out there, but I think I need to give them a few days before throwing curve balls at them again." I said.

"Understandable." He said, though he sort of looked disappointed.

"Oh! About last night, is everything okay with your little brother?" I asked, remembering how fast he'd changed demeanors when the little boy had called.

He nodded, that mysterious look back in his eyes, like he was keeping a big secret. "Perfectly fine. Thirteen year old boys think they know everything." He said, rolling his hazel eyes.

"Don't I know it." I muttered, and he laughed.

"So… what are your views on cutting class?" He asked conspiratorially, after the hallway was mostly empty. I grinned.

"It's healthy." I replied quickly. He smirked.

"Then what do you say we ditch this place?" He asked, gesturing to the nearest exit.

"Dean, that's a fire exit, so unless you want the whole school ditching with us, we're going to need to sneak out the front." I pointed out the large red warning on the metal door.

He pulled a credit card out of his pocket, a playful look on his face. "Wanna bet?" He asked, doing something with it that I couldn't quite follow. The door opened soundlessly, "Ladies first." He said, holding it open for  
me.

"Cool trick." I said, rolling my eyes as I passed him.

Again, I didn't ask him where we were going until we were in his Chevy, roaring down the highway. "I don't  
care. I just needed to get the hell out of there." He answered when I'd voiced my question.

It seemed like he was driving aimlessly, letting go of the wheel momentarily to shrug off his uniform jacket and loosen the tie considerably around his neck. I reached over to grab the wheel as we almost drove off the shoulder of the winding road.

"Nice catch." He said, unconcerned. I rolled my eyes, pulling off my jacket too and tossing it into the backseat to join Dean's.

A heavy metal song came on the radio, and Dean cranked up the volume, singing. He was ridiculously off key, but I found something endearing about it. I laughed as he got really into it, imitating the singer's screeching.

When the song ended, he glanced over at me. I was still laughing. "What's with the death music?" I asked, kicking off my shoes and pulling my legs up under me. I rolled down the window and pulled my hair free from its band, letting it whip around my face.

He stared at me for a minute before answering. "I don't know, it's got a good rhythm." He finally decided, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel along with the beat to the next song that had come on. "What do you listen to?" He asked, reaching over to fiddle with the controls.

I shrugged. "Something that doesn't make me want to shoot myself. Country's not bad… mostly alternative stuff though—there are some really cool obscure bands out there." I told him, finally examining our surroundings.

My breath caught in my throat as I realized where we were, I tried not to let it show, I couldn't tell Dean the truth about my family, and I had a feeling that if he turned those eyes on me and asked me directly that I wouldn't be able to resist.

The road wound around, the barren trees casting threatening shadows, the sky darkening. It couldn't go a full week without raining in Ipswich. Suddenly the road ended, causing my new friend to curse. "Where the hell did I get us lost?" He asked.

I tried not to answer too quickly. My eyes were trained on the large beaten down building. I knew that if either of us got out there would be a rifle going off. "It's one of the original houses built here in the 1700s. When the colony of Ipswich was founded." I said slowly.

He whistled. "Wow. That's pretty cool. Does anyone still live here? Let's go explore!" He said, sounding as excited as a twelve year old. I reached out and grabbed him before he could open his door.

He looked at me like I was nuts. "No. We shouldn't be here. Let's just go." I knew this was sure to hurt more than it helped.

"What's wrong?" He asked, leveling those ridiculous eyes at me. I concentrated on my answer, watching every word.

"Me and my friends used to play here as kids…the caretaker is getting on in years, and if we get out of a car that he doesn't recognize…we will have bullet holes to explain to the dry cleaners." I said. His eyebrows shot up into the scruffy hair that hung down over his forehead.

He studied my expression for a moment, before putting the car in reverse and turning around. We sat in silence as the wind whipped around us, brining a bite of winter's chill. I wanted to say something, anything to smooth over the moment, but could think of nothing that would rid him of the notion that I was absolutely insane.

"Soooo…awk-ward si-lence." He said, after another three songs had played through on the radio without a word of conversation. I giggled.

"You don't think I'm crazy?" I asked hopefully.

He smirked at me, and I was momentarily worried about him not watching the road, until I got lost in his eyes again and couldn't even remember why I'd been concerned. "Babe, you don't know crazy." He said, driving aimlessly through the trees again.

I snorted. "Yeah, I do." I said, and then bit down on my lip, hard.

Thankfully he somehow didn't find anything weird about my outburst. "I'd be willing to bet that my life is way crazier than yours." He said, throwing me another cocky look.

I rolled my green eyes, and tucked my hair behind my ears, though now it was snarled beyond what a brush would repair. "That's a bet I'd take, and win." I said, sure that there was no one who had a more messed up life than me. Though I was usually okay with that; I loved most parts of my life.

"Well I guess we'll just find out, won't we?" He asked, turning back on to the main street in Ipswich. I shrugged.

"Prepare to be outcrazied." I said lightly. He snickered.

"Prepare to be amazed." He returned, putting the Chevy in park and climbing out. I took a moment to look around. The dilapidated apartments had been here forever, although I was willing to bet that there were few people that actually rented here.

I hopped out of the car too, slamming the door and giggling when Dean winced. "Easy does it!" He said.

I shrugged, following him up the creaking wooden stairs. He sifted through the five or so keys on the ring, until finding the one that unlocked the door at the top of the steps. He pushed the door open and then pulled me by the hand inside. My heart sped up. If Caleb knew I was here…

He flipped on a light in the small dining room, and I heard a voice come from one of the tiny looking bedrooms. "Dean?" The voice sounded sort of anxious.

"It's okay Sammy, it's just me." I was confused. Who else would it be? I was apparently missing something. Seconds later, an adorable little boy came skipping out into the hallway, a grin splitting his face. He stopped dead when he saw me, instant mistrust in his eyes.

Dean fell into one of the two shabby mismatched chairs next to an old kitchen table. He yanked gently on my hand, and I sat down lightly on his lap. "Sam, this is my friend Andie. Andie, this is my little brother Sammy." He said, gesturing as he made introductions.

I smiled my warmest smile. I was touched that Dean wanted to introduce me to his brother. "Hi Sam." I said.

Sam was currently glaring at his older brother. "_Don't_ call me Sammy." He warned. Dean reached out a hand and ruffled the boy's already-messy dark hair, causing him to redouble his glare. "Is this your _girlfriend_?" He asked, finally remembering my existence.

I felt my heart speed up, waiting for Dean's answer. There was no reason to hope for a yes, but that was what my heart wanted to hear. I felt Dean stiffen slightly. Sam seemed to realize the tension in the room. "She's too pretty to be your girlfriend." He decided.

I giggled at him. He was a charmer that was for sure. "That she is." Dean agreed, and I felt my cheeks warm slightly. He climbed up in the other chair.

"So…_Sam_." I stressed. He grinned approvingly. "Is your big brother as big a pain in the butt as mine is?" I asked jokingly. Dean poked me in the ribs, making me laugh.

"Yep. Bigger, probably." He answered, causing Dean to glare at him. I smirked.

"Wanna bet?" I wagered.

"What are you a gambling addict too?" The elder Winchester asked, making a veiled reference to my drinking, no-doubt. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"I have an addictive personality. Get used to it." I stated. His eyes got that mischievous glint that Reid's did—the one that always meant trouble. It made my stomach twist up in delicious knots.

Sam jumped down from his chair, I could see him vibrating with the natural energy that all children seem to have endless supplies of. He hopped back toward his room. "See ya later Andie!" He called.

"Bye Sam!" I hollered, giggling.

Dean smirked. "I had to make sure that the kid approved of you." He said, when I looked at him curiously after a moment. I suppressed the urge to 'awww'.

"And the verdict is…?" I asked, trying to sound like one of those legal people in the retarded courtroom shows that were always plaguing daytime TV.

He smirked. "The jury is still deliberating." He said, nodding his head in the direction of the door that Sam had pulled closed behind him. I pretended to pout.

Not three minutes later, the little boy ran back out, something clutched in his fist. He opened it, holding out the small charm. It was a pentagram inside a circle. The figure was vaguely familiar. I held my hand out and he dropped it onto my palm.

Without another word, he ran back into his room. I turned, startled, to Dean, looking pointedly at the metal pendant in my hand. He looked slightly shocked. "It's a devil's trap." He explained after a moment. "It's a protection symbol." He said, taking the thin chain from me and clasping it around my neck.

"Okay…so he _really_ likes you." He said, after another moment of silence. I smirked.

"So… what does that mean?" I urged. Dean looked suddenly unsure, his focus held by the little symbol around my throat.

I reached out slowly and used my finger to pull his chin up to meet my gaze, like he had the night before. After a few seconds of that startlingly intense eye contact, he smiled.

His rough, warm hands snaked up to hold my face, which he brought down to his. The minute that his lips connected with mine, it was like wildfire. I gasped, pulling myself closer to him. We stayed like that for god only knows how long; I couldn't form coherent thoughts when his mouth was on mine.

We broke apart suddenly when my purse started singing.

I grappled for my phone, dazed and disoriented. "Hello?" I asked breathlessly.

"Where are you _now_?" My brother's voice brought me jarringly back to reality.


	5. Chapter 4: hitting the fan

**Okay, nothing huge to say, except that this is personally one of my favorite chapters :) mostly because I love Sam to death... I wasn't sure I was even going to put him in the story, but then I sort of realized that a Supernatural story (even a crossover) would be incomplete if Dean didn't have to watch out for his little bro.**

**Anyways... read and review!! **

**_~wwsadd_**

* * *

Chapter four: Hitting the Fan

"I-I-I'm on my way. Gimme ten minutes." I stuttered.

Dean's hands were on my hips still, he'd dragged me back to him as soon as I'd grabbed my phone. It was making concentrating on Caleb's words extremely difficult. "Andromeda, are you alright?" My big brother, concerned again, shocker.

I sighed. "Perfect. I just kind of got… sidetracked. I'll be right there." I said, thankful when he agreed and hung up the phone.

I tossed my cell back onto the table, taking a deep breath. "Is everything okay?" I turned back to him, trying to smile normally. He didn't buy it, that much I could tell. I brought my lips back to his briefly. Forcing myself to pull away, I smirked.

"Shit's about to hit the fan. I gotta run. I was supposed to be at Ty's house almost an hour ago. I can run back to school from here, it's only a couple blocks to where I parked my truck." I told him, though I hated to leave.

The little, dingy apartment felt so…safe? Or maybe it was who I was with—Dean might be the definition of a bad boy, but I felt like he was on my side, something that almost _never_ happened.

His expression hardened, making him suddenly look twenty-seven instead of only seventeen. "I'll drive you back." He said. I laughed.

"Something tells me that would take longer than if I walked." I explained, pecking him lightly and hopping off his lap. He snickered, obviously he realized that. "See you tomorrow?" I asked, wondering where this type of thing went from here. I'd never had the chance to get this far with someone before.

He got heavily to his feet, pulling me toward, then through the door. It had begun to rain, surprise surprise. Pausing outside on the top step, he kissed me again; the rain was a cool mist on our faces. As much as I wanted to stay like that forever, I knew I was wasting time, so I pulled away after a moment.

"What are you doing later?" He asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know, probably just hanging with the guys. Why?"

He smirked, that mysterious glint back in his eyes. "Meet me?"

My heart stuttered, my cheeks warming even though the rain was cold. "Sure." I said, turning and skipping down the steps, taking off toward Spenser.

When I was safely in my truck, I took a minute to breathe. That was the first time I'd been kissed since I was nine years old. The last thing I wanted was a trip down memory lane, but apparently I was overdue.

"_Ewww!" I made a disgusted face._

"_What?" a ten year old Reid asked, turning up the volume on the big flat-screen television in his gigantic living room. Caleb, Pogue and Tyler were playing outside._

_  
I rolled my nine-year-old eyes. "They're… _kissing_." I pointed out incredulously. The couple on the commercial was wrapped in an intense embrace. This was supposed to be a family-friendly channel._

_  
Reid scoffed. "What, can't handle a little lip action?" He teased._

_  
I stuck my tongue out. "It's gross." _

"_Is not." He countered, his icy blue eyes twinkling. _

"_Is so." I threw back. This was bound to be another one of our completely pointless fights._

"_How would you know?" He challenged. I drew a blank, causing his smirk to become more pronounced._

"_Well… how would you?" I finally shot back. He snickered._

"_Trust me, I know." He said superiorly. "And it's not gross." He added, apparently thinking he won._

_  
I plucked up my courage, not yet over the massive crush I'd had on the blond Son that faded out when we all hit high school. "Prove it." I said, hoping I sounded braver than I felt._

_  
I hadn't expected him to really do it. I hadn't expected him to lean over the middle cushion of the leather couch and swiftly touch his lips to mine._

_  
It was only a second, but when he pulled back, he was smirking, the mischievous glint back in his eyes._

"_Told you." He said, satisfied with the shocked look on my face._

In the seven years since then, neither of us had ever brought that day up. But it was the only kiss I'd ever gotten before today. My head was still spinning a little, but the feeling was a good one. I gave myself another second to pull myself together and then took off for Tyler's house.

When I finally made it to the mansion that had been like a second home to me, I didn't bother knocking. Tyler's parents were in the living room, and I waved as I passed them on my way to the giant staircase.

"Hi dear! The boys are upstairs." Mrs. Simms called, though I more than knew my way around the massive house. Tyler's room was larger than Dean's entire apartment. The whole west wall was a window that looked out over the large, rolling backyard.

"Okay, spill." Ty said, pulling me down on the big couch near the door. I heard it swing shut, and turned to see the flash of fire fade out of his eyes.

I rolled my own. "Something… came up." I said with a smirk, throwing their own excuse back at them.

Reid made a rude noise. "Such as?"

I shrugged, hoping my lips weren't swollen and that the blush had faded out of my cheeks. "Look, forget about it, it's no big deal." I said.

Ty nudged me with his elbow, a knowing look on his face "Well I heard that you skipped Trig. The Provost is ten seconds away from kicking you out." He informed me.

"Oh the horror." I muttered sarcastically.

Caleb, apparently, hadn't realized that I'd taken a mental health day. "Andromeda!" He groaned. "What time did you leave?" He asked.

I grinned. "Like thirty seconds after I left the lunch table." I said truthfully.

Pogue whistled. "Nice, D." I was so not the only one that ditched class all the time.

"Why?" My brother on the other hand, was the only one who _didn't_ ditch class all the time.

"Hey Caleb?" I asked. He'd let his head fall into his hands, his elbows propped up on his knees. He looked up at me with a slight glare. "You know how I always tell you that you don't want to know? This is one of those times." I said slowly, knowing that it was a huge understatement.

His glare deepened. "I always want to know Andie. I just always would rather you not do those things you think I don't want to know." I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks for clearing that up." I said sarcastically.

I thought I was off the hook until Reid pulled himself to his feet and then fell into the spot on the couch next to me. Then I knew I was screwed. He always got the truth out of me—even without magic.

When his eyes caught mine, they weren't the warm, deep hazel that I drowned in when I looked at Dean, but they were like ice—and something about them pulled the real story out of me, every time.

I heard Pogue snicker, and I felt Tyler laughing next to me. They always got a kick out of this. Caleb made a disapproving noise; he never found it quite as funny, go figure. I bit down on my lip hard, but I swear it wasn't twenty seconds later when I gave up.

"I met your new friend." I said, pulling away from Reid's gaze and flinging a glance at Caleb.

He gave me a puzzled look. "The one from California… the one you invited to lunch earlier, I ran into him in the hallway, and we got to talking…" I edited out the fact that we'd basically planned to meet up at some point during the day. "He asked my views on ditching class, and well… you guys know how much I hate school…" I trailed off.

"And you spent all afternoon with him?" Pogue asked, still laughing. "You outdid yourself this time D."

I smiled sheepishly. "Thanks… I think." The look on Caleb's face, however, was nowhere near as lenient as the one his best friend was sporting. "Oh come on Caleb, you said yourself he was a nice guy." I pointed out.

"So? What makes you think that I'd approve this? This is _not_ okay Andie." He asked, obviously angry.

I groaned, falling back against the comfy cushion of the couch. "I didn't. Hence me not telling you until now." I said, swatting at the back of Reid's head as payback.

"Where were you when I called?" He asked suddenly. I knew it did no good to lie. Reid was sure to catch me, every time.

"His apartment." I muttered.

I knew that I was in trouble then. Reid turned to look at me, outraged. Caleb was on his feet, cursing. Even Pogue wasn't smiling for once. Tyler just looked completely and utterly shocked. "I'm going to _kill_ him." Reid sputtered.

I realized, a beat late, that what I had said sounded way worse than what had actually happened. I started to laugh—_not_ the right reaction. "What the hell were you doing over there?" Caleb asked. I knew that tone… it meant trouble.

"Everyone calm the fuck down. Geez. I'm not _that_ easy." I said, teasingly. "Although, you're all damn lucky that I didn't jump in bed with the first guy that came along that wasn't afraid of you lot." I added.

My brother looked scandalized. My joke had not been appreciated by anyone in the room apparently. "Relax! Good gods, a little trust, please. He was just introducing me to his little brother." I said, almost honestly.

"Andie, we aren't that stupid." Pogue snapped. I glared.

"Fine." I snapped, leaping to my feet. "I don't know what I've ever done to lose all the trust that you guys _should_ have in me to make a good judgment call now and then, but I can see that none of you are going to be reasonable, so if you don't mind, I have better places to be." I growled, reaching for the door.

Naturally it wouldn't budge. I turned to snap at my brother, but his angry eyes were still their dark brown. I whipped back around to glare at Reid, the second most likely to pull this bull shit, but his eyes were still icy blue.

Exasperated, my eyes finally caught Ty's midnight black ones. "Let. Me. Out." I snarled. He shook his head adamantly.

"You don't get to run away D. Like it or not we're you're family…Deal. With. It." He said, imitating me.

I threw my hands up in the air, completely fed up. "You guys want to be a family?" I asked, outraged. "I'd say I'm not the one that needs to start _acting like it_." I said, throwing Caleb's words back at him. I gestured between him and Reid, who were both watching me with wide eyes.

"You two have done nothing but fight; you act like you hate each other. Some family this is! You're all divided- you're supposed to be brothers, but you guys couldn't all side on something if your lives depended on it. None of you can lecture me on family when you can't be one either. Maybe some things just _aren't_ meant to be." I cried, feeling the tears prick at the corners of my eyes again.

I wouldn't cry in front of them, it was a personal rule that I hadn't broken in nearly ten years. I fought back against the devastation that was threatening to overwhelm me. I tried the door again. It still wouldn't move. "Tyler." I growled, turning back to him.

"You don't mean that." He said shortly. I raised an eyebrow, daring him to contradict me.

"Wanna bet?" I asked, for the third time that day. His eyes fell from my face. I knew I should feel remorse, but I was so _angry_. And scared, and confused, and tired of the repetitive friction that had developed in the last couple of years.

"I'm sick of this." I spat. "I do not belong here, and we all know it. You guys want to pretend like you can fight with each other and nothing bad will happen, that's your business. I'm out." I said, wrenching on the door again, finally getting it to open. I sprinted down the steps, let the door bang behind me, and threw myself into my truck.

I spun out down the gravel drive, running, like I always did. But what else was I supposed to do? I wasn't strong enough to deal with what would hit me when I finally slowed down. I was only human.

I didn't even realize where I was going until I was in front of a place that I never went if I could help it.

I'd already been here once today, what on earth had possessed me to come back? Slowly I got out of my truck and made my way up the dirt walkway, through the overgrown yard, toward the rotted wooden door.

"Miss." Gorman let me in with a single word. If he was surprised to see me, he didn't let me see it. I dragged my feet as I slowly walked toward the large, winged armchair by the fireplace. I hated it here. Caleb tried to get me to come with him every weekend, and I gave him the same answer every single time.

The man in the chair was not my father. Of that I'd convinced myself long ago. But it was close as I could get to my childhood, when I had two real parents, and four brothers that vowed to be best friends forever.

"Daddy." I whispered, folding myself into a sitting position near the arm of the chair. His glazed eyes found mine. It made my breath catch in my throat. "Why? Why do I exist?" I asked, a note of pure hysteria in my voice.

He leveled an understanding gaze at me. His voice was no more than a croak of a whisper. "My Andie, you are a rare surprise. There are not often Daughters of Ipswich." He said, coughing. I looked down at the worn wooden floor, unable to meet his knowing eyes.

"Because there's no need for a _Daughter_. They're the Sons of Ipswich—I don't have a place with them." I voiced my biggest fear.

He choked out a laugh. I looked up at him quickly, startled. "Child. Don't doubt your purpose. When the Covenant is blessed with a Daughter… she is the defining individual, the one that makes history. Without you, your brothers would never be able to face _what is coming_." He said, breathing heavily after his tirade.

His prophesy-like words echoed in my ears, making my blood run cold. "What do you mean?" I whispered.

Closing his eyes, his voice was even softer than before. "Save them Andromeda. Only you can rescue the Covenant. Do not let them down." By this time I was leaning in to catch his words. I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Miss. Master Danvers needs to rest now. I'm sure he appreciated you stopping by—visit again soon." I was bewildered for a moment before I realized I was being kicked out. I was more confused than ever… how was I supposed to save _them_? They were indestructible… what could I do to protect them? My father must be insane.

I was plagued by the odd conversation as I pulled back onto the highway, heading for the only place that might make sense right now. My cell phone was beeping like mad, but I didn't even look at it before switching it off. I needed some time to process.

When I reached the parking lot, I slammed the truck into park and jumped out. Taking the steps two at a time, I came to a halt in front of the rough wooden door. I banged on it with my fist. A very shocked Dean Winchester pulled it open.

I flung myself into his arms, burying my face in his shoulder. His voice was laced with concern. "Andie? What happened?" He asked, pulling me into the apartment and closing the door securely with one hand. The other arm was wrapped tightly around my shoulders.

The tears were beginning to overflow now, try as I might to keep them back. I sniffled, keeping my arms wrapped around him, not pulling my face out of his shirt. "Hey hey hey." He said, and I felt him lead me further into the room. "Whatever it is, I promise everything will be okay." I still couldn't bring myself to do anything but hold on to him for dear life.

The anxiety in his voice grew. "Andie, listen to me." He said, pushing back gently on my shoulders so he could see my face. "You're safe, alright? I won't let anything bad happen to you." He promised, taking one hand from my shoulder and brushing away my tears.

I shook my head, trying to get back into tough-girl mode. But it was impossible to be anyone but myself around him. The tears still leaked out of my eyes, but they were slowing. "I just got in the biggest fight with my brother… I told them all that we weren't a family… I'm such a horrible person." I sniffed.

Dean chuckled, wiping the tears off my cheeks again. "I doubt that." He said, pulling me into his chest again. I turned my face so my ear was over his heart. The steady beating of it calmed me considerably, as did the tight embrace of his arms.

"You shouldn't scare me like that." He teased after a moment of silence. "I thought I was going to have to hunt someone down." I couldn't tell if he was kidding or not. I doubted it.

"Sorry." I mumbled. "Didn't mean to freak you out, I just feel like I can be honest with you and you're not going to think I'm nuts. You know what it's like to have only one link left to a once-happy family." I said, nodding my head toward Sam's closed door.

He pulled me to the small, worn couch and I climbed back in his lap, resting my head in the crook of his neck. I could tell he was trying to find more comforting words, but just sitting there with him made me feel so much safer than I had sitting in Tyler's room, wondering how long it would be before the other shoe dropped.

My so-called family was falling apart, and Dean seemed to understand that, though how he could possibly know how it feels was beyond me. When he finally did speak, the tone of his voice was nearly desperate.

"Andie, sometimes bad things happen to good people, but we're not given anything in life that we can't handle." He said slowly.

"How do you know that? Do you really think either of us deserves all the crap that's been thrown at us?" I demanded, truly curious.

I felt him shrug lightly. "Of course not, but we both have our brothers still, D. We haven't lost everything; we each still have something to fight for. I' not saying it will be easy, but if life was easy all the time… the rare beautiful things that come along wouldn't be nearly as special." He said philosophically, tugging softly on the pendant around my neck.

I had to smile at his cliché statement. I lifted my head to kiss him lightly on the cheek. "Wow. That was deep." I teased.

"Hey! I can be deep." He argued, before we both started laughing hysterically.

The door in the back creaked open, and the cute little boy I'd met earlier peeked his dark head out. When he saw that it was just me he came all the way into the small living room. "You're back!" He said, sounding delighted.

I grinned. "Sorry Sam, you can kick me out when I start to get in the way." I told him. He rolled his eyes, heading for the tiny kitchen.

"Usually we scare people away." I heard him mutter before disappearing around the thin room divider. I felt Dean stiffen, and I gave him an inquiring glance. He shrugged it off.

Sam came tripping back in a moment later. "Dean, what are we gonna have for dinner?" The little boy asked worriedly. I got the impression that sometimes they went without three square meals a day.

I felt bad, but I also knew Dean was not the kind of person that accepted charity. I pretended not to notice the tension in the small apartment, and instead reached into my purse and pulled out my cell phone.

I flipped it back on, disregarding the messages flashing in the corner of the screen, and scrolled through the contacts. I shot a look at Sam, "What kind of pizza do you like?" I asked. His eyes widened, and I caught the pleading look he shot at his big brother.

"Andie…you don't have to…" I laughed, causing him to stop mid-sentence.

"What's so wrong with me spending daddy's money?" I pointed out, pulling the American Express from my wallet and waving it in front of his face.

"Oh, alright." He said reluctantly, after Sam and I both pouted at him. Sam cheered.

When the doorbell rang thirty minutes later, I ran to answer it, credit card in hand. The delivery boy went to the public school in town, but he still recognized me. "Andie Danvers, right?" He asked with a smile, handing me the box.

I smiled politely and nodded. "Thanks." I said warmly, hoping he'd turn and leave. No such luck.

"So…" He started. I sighed. Then the boy's eyes widened and I felt a body right behind mine. I grinned, leaning back into his chest when I felt a hand tug lightly on my hip.

"Is there a problem here?" Dean asked, giving the poor kid a glare that had him stuttering.

"N-n-no man, n-no problem. Catch you later Danvers." He said, turning and nearly falling down the stairs.

I laughed when he stumbled into his rundown car and drove off. I turned and shoved Dean's shoulder playfully. "That was mean."

He pulled the pizza from me and set it on the table. "Don't pretend like you didn't find it as funny as I did." He said lightly, pulling me closer and bending his head down so his lips were centimeters above mine… "Right?" He asked mischievously.

I rolled my eyes. "Maybe." I said with a giggle, and then pushed myself up on my tiptoes to reach his lips.

"Get a room." I gasped, falling back to my feet, turning to see Sam with a glimmer of the same smirk that seemed to be Dean's trademark. I felt my face redden, though Dean was laughing.

"Sorry Sammy." He said lightly, flipping open the cardboard box and falling into the chair nearest to it. Sam claimed the other quickly, reaching across the table to grab a large slice from the box. I laughed at them, pulling myself up on the edge of the table and stealing a piece before the boys finished it.

I dawdled there until long after dark, not particularly wanting to return to my house, or even my room at Spenser. I didn't care what Dean said about being dysfunctional—tonight had been more family-time than I'd had in a long time.

After we'd eaten, Sam pulled an old board game out of his room, and between the two of us proceeded to kick Dean's ass—twice. Then we flipped on the small television, letting the little boy pick the channel.

It was some PBS special on the Salem Witch Trials, talk about irony. But Dean seemed really into it, and I listened curiously, comparing notes with what I remembered reading in the Book of Damnation when I was a kid.

I was curled up on my side next to Dean on the couch; Sam sat just a foot away from the screen, completely absorbed. Dean was paying attention to the narrator too, although his fingers were tracing patterns in my open palm, and it was making it hard for me to pay attention.

I snorted when it got to a commercial. Sam whipped around to look at me; Dean cocked his head in interest. "If there really were witches and whatnot back then, don't you think they'd have some sort of spells to save themselves? Instead of lining up at a scaffold?" I asked logically. My words caught up to me and my heart started beating faster. This was forbidden territory.

Dean's expression was hard to read, the mysterious look back in his eyes. "You believe in magic?" He asked, like everything depended on my answer.

I sighed. His gaze caught mine, and it was just as intense as always. "I told you I was crazy." I muttered, pulling myself to my feet and making my way toward the nearest exit. I would _not_ betray my Covenant's secret.

"Hey, wait! Where are you going?" Dean hopped up and jogged over to where I was about to open the door.

"It's late, we have class tomorrow. I'm going back to school." I told him, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. I wanted to stay here, but I knew if I didn't leave soon then everything that my family had spent the last three hundred years protecting was going to be for nothing.

He threw a glance out the window. "I'm walking you back." I started to protest, but he cut me off. "It's dark outside, just let me walk with you to the school so I know you're safe." He begged. I nodded in defeat.

"Goodnight Sam!" I called, waving to the little boy who was still watching the show intently.

He glanced up with a grin. "Bye Andie! Thanks for the pizza!"

Dean grabbed his leather jacket from where it had been slung carelessly, and took my hand. We made it to the bottom of the steps without speaking. Then he held the coat out so I could slip my arms into it- I was still dressed only in my white button-up shirt and pleated skirt uniform.

We plodded along silently; I started swinging our hands between us. "Do you believe in magic?" I asked him, as we walked along the damp, forested path. His hand tightened around mine.

He didn't look at me as he answered. "I believe that there is real evil, and that there is just as much good… sometimes it's just harder to find." He said, his voice harsh.

His reply shocked me. "Oh." I said, not sure of what else I _could_ say.

He stopped suddenly, causing me to jerk back when he didn't let go of my hand. "What I meant was… I don't know, forget I said anything." He said frustratedly. The secrets in his eyes were more pronounced than ever.

I felt like there was a wall between us, we both had something we were bound to protect, and it was going to force us apart. I reached my hand up to cup the side of his face, forcing him to look at me.

"I think I know what you mean… but there's something you aren't telling me." I could see he was about to argue, so I cut him off. "It's okay, I understand. Just don't push me away, alright?" I asked, winding my arms around his waist and pulling myself as close as I could get to him.

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders, and I could feel how fast his heart was beating. He pulled back a moment later,  
holding my face between his hands. "Andie." He said, stress coloring his tone.

"My life… it's not anything like yours. I've spent the last twelve years on the move, one crappy motel room to the next—we never stay in one place for more than a couple weeks…I never get to make friends before moving on.

"Before now… I always figured that was probably a good thing… My dad's job is a dangerous one, making me and Sammy's lives very… sketchy. It's been all I can do to keep us together and relatively safe. I don't like the thought of you being pulled into it." He finished softly. It made my blood run cold.

I could hear that he was telling me more than what his words alone said. But I just couldn't figure out what it was. "Dean, I trust you… and your little brother idolizes you… can't you just… let yourself be happy while you're here?" I pled, though the words hurt me to say.

It took him some visible effort on his part, but then the smirk was back on his face. "You're something else." He said, making me grin.

"You have no idea." I promised him.

* * *

**sooooo.... what'd everyone think? I thought I'd give a preview of the next chapter that's completely written... people have seemed to like it when I do it in other stories so...  
preview of next chapter:**

_"Why?" I asked again, wrapping my arms around myself. He looked at me quizzically. "Why does it always come down to them? My brother? Tyler? Pogue, Reid?" I asked, my voice breaking with my heart. "I'm so sick of coming in last to them." I said shakily._

_His expression darkened. "That's not fair Andie." He said. _

_"Life's not fair Dean." I threw back, trying to hold back the sob that was caught in my throat, but a sniffle broke loose._

_"You're right." He said softly, "Life isn't fair."_


	6. Chapter 5: a brewing storm

Chapter five: a Brewing Storm

I slipped silently into my room, trying not to wake Kate. Unfortunately for me, she was still up.

"Wow, D, you sure know how to make waves." She said, putting down the book she'd been reading.

I shrugged. "Yeah. Tell me about it." I said tiredly, pulling off my uniform and climbing into my bed. "Today has been one hell of a day." I added.

She laughed. "I'd say. All the guys were here earlier, having aneurisms—I think Caleb almost called the cops." She said mildly. "I hope it was worth it."

I thought about the way Dean had kissed me goodnight, and I smiled. "It was definitely worth it."

"So… the new guy's that great?" She asked, that gleam of interest in her eyes. I nodded conspiratorially.

"Better." I confided. She whistled.

"Wow. Andie. Score one for the Daughter of Ipswich." She joked, before pulling out her cell phone from her nightstand drawer.

"What are you doing?" I asked apprehensively. "It's one in the morning."

"And Pogue is still at your house with your brother, Reid and Tyler, trying to figure out where the hell you went. I'm just telling them to get their asses to bed." She said decidedly, holding the phone to her ear.

"Hey baby." She answered brightly, causing me to make a gagging noise. "Well I was just calling to let you know that Andie is back, you guys can stop freaking out now, I promise, she's in one piece." She said lightly. I giggled.

"No… because Pogue, it's one in the morning, and we all have class tomorrow. You'll all have plenty of time to talk to her in the morning okay? … Well that's just too bad… nope…" She rolled her eyes, making a face at whatever he'd said.

"You're so dumb… I'll see you tomorrow… you better…I love you too." She said finally, hanging up. Reaching over to turn off the light she warned me. "You're in for it tomorrow."

"Fantastic." I muttered, falling almost instantly into a fitful sleep.

I was sorely tempted to skip the next day entirely, because I was so exhausted. I hadn't gotten any real sleep, and I was stressed to the max about everything that had happened in just the past few days. But I knew it would only get worse if the Provost made good on his threat and tried to expel me.

I managed to make it through my first class, at least pretending to pay attention, and then skipped pretty happily to my next class. Choir always made my day better. And in the hallway I ran into Dean again, brightening my outlook even more.

He smiled at me, wrapping an arm securely around my shoulders as he walked me to class, handing me the jacket I'd left in his car the day before…snickering at the shocked looks on our classmates' faces. "Sam wants to know when you're coming over again." He told me. I felt my cheeks warm as I played with the pendant on my neck.

"What'd you tell him?" I asked. He smirked, leaving me at the door with a kiss on the cheek.

"Have fun." He said ignoring the question, and easily reading the excited expression on my face. Today was solo day.

Entering the room, Mr. Matthews glanced up, surprised that I was early, no doubt. "Miss Danvers, pleased to see you've finally realized the error of your ways. Would you like to begin for us?" He asked, holding out the sheet music.

I traipsed down the long set of stairs, to the lone microphone at the front of the amphitheatre-like room. Glancing quickly at the thin paper in my hands, I started to hum—falling easily into my natural element.

When class was over, Mr. Matthews called to me. "Andromeda, will you stay behind for a moment please?" He asked. I nodded, perplexed.

The second bell rang, warning me I was going to be late to history, what a tragedy. "Yes?" I asked, making my way back down the steps toward his desk.

"Have you ever thought about a career in music?" He asked, handing me a brochure full of the top music schools in the country.

I nodded enthusiastically. "I mean, I'm hardly a good enough singer, but I love to dance." I said, staring at the page detailing Julliard.

He chuckled. "Well I happen to disagree. You have an amazing talent, Miss Danvers. Don't waste it." He advised. "See you tomorrow."

I hopped back up the stairs, shoving the pamphlet into my bag. When I made it to the hallway, there was almost no one around, and I knew there was no way I was getting to the other side of the school in the next thirty seconds.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" I spun, I knew that voice.

"Shove off Abbot." I snapped, pushing past him. He grabbed me by the upper arm though, squeezing until I winced in pain. "Let go of me you creep."

He laughed, and the sound was malicious. "Why should I do that?" He asked, shoving me against the closest wall of lockers. "Big brother's not here to protect you this time." He sneered. I glared. Usually he left me alone, as much as he and Caleb fought, he typically knew better than to mess with me.

The combination on the locker behind me was digging harshly into my back, my arm throbbing where he was still holding on to me. "What the fuck is your problem?" I hissed, trying to shove him away from me.

His eyes glinted with a disturbing humor that made my stomach drop. "You know, you're pretty hot when you're mad." He said, his words scaring me as much as the look on his face. I stomped down on his foot, causing him to curse, and loosen his hold slightly.

I tried to escape then, knowing that as tough as I was, there was no way I was stronger than him. "Bitch." He snarled, grabbing me again, and slamming me back against the lockers, even harder than the first time, laughing when I flinched.

This time my head hit the metal of the lockers, hard, making me dizzy. "Damn it Abbot." I groaned. "Leave me the hell alone." He snickered.

"I don't think so, little Danvers." He growled, his other hand digging harshly into my hip, pressing me tightly against the row of lockers. I whimpered, from pain and fear. I knew I should scream or something, but I was just frozen in terror. Since when did this kind of thing happen in the halls of Spenser Academy?

His hips were even with mine, his face just inches away. "Why don't you call for your body guards huh?" He mocked. I reached out with the flat of my hand and slapped him as hard as I could manage. He started to laugh, his fingers digging even deeper into my skin.

"Kinky." He said, his hot breath in my face, making my head spin unpleasantly. His mouth was way too close to me… the hand on my hip snaked its way upward toward my chest, and I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling violated.

Suddenly he was flung away from me, my arm stinging from where his fingers were ripped away. My eyes went wide. Aaron was on the floor; Dean was shaking his hand out, blood smeared on his knuckles. "Stay the hell away from her, or I will _finish_ you." He snarled.

Abbot, his nose looking broken, clambered to his feet and ran down the hallway, blood running down his face. I flung myself at my savior; he pulled me roughly into his embrace. I was shaking with adrenaline and fear, and he ran his fingers gently through my hair. "Shhh. It's okay baby." He whispered, rocking lightly back and forth.

I sniffled, and then nodded. "Thanks for saving me." I said, my voice trembling. He pulled away slightly, his eyes catching the blossoming bruise where Aaron's fingers had grabbed my arm. I wished that I'd worn the longer sleeved shirt today.

He hissed. "I'm going to kill that kid." He said, no trace of a joke on his face. He stepped away from me, in the direction Aaron had run. I shook my head and grabbed him before he got too far away from me.

"No…don't fight with him." I begged him. His face became incredulous.

"He's not getting away with that." He demanded.

"Trust me, Caleb will take care of it." I was adamant. "Just stay with me, okay? Don't leave me." I pled. He didn't look happy about it. But he finally nodded. "I think I need to go to the nurse's office." I added. His eyes widened, reaching out to steady me as I swayed.

"I'm not arguing with that." He said, ignoring my protests as he pulled me up easily into his arms, like a small child and headed in the direction of the Infirmary.

"Oh dear! What happened?" The elderly lady in white scrubs asked as Dean somehow managed to get the door to the room open without jostling me.

I rushed to answer before Dean could. "I got in a fight." He glared. The nurse tisked me, patting the cot; Dean hesitantly set me down, sitting down next to me and keeping an arm tightly around me. I leaned into him.

Her eyes widened too, as she took in the deep purple marks that could not be mistaken for anything but fingerprints. "What else?" She asked.

"I hit my head kind of hard on a locker." I said, pressing lightly on the back of my skull, wincing when I found the bruise that no doubt matched the others.

She prodded where I'd indicated, causing me to whimper again, and causing Dean to make an angry noise under his breath. "You may have a slight concussion." She concluded. "You should probably skip the rest of the day, but be careful not to fall asleep, you hear?" She asked sternly.

I nodded, although sleep sounded wonderful. "Was that the extent of it then?" She asked. The light green walls seemed to spin for a moment, and I had to wait a minute to answer her. I unbuttoned my shirt, pulling it out of my skirt and taking it all the way off- forgetting for the moment that Dean was still sitting right next to me.

The nurse looked disapprovingly at me, until I turned to show her my back, where the combination lock had bitten into my skin. "Oh my." She said softly. I couldn't see the damage, nor did I want to. I was queasy enough.

I felt Dean shake slightly next to me, and I was glad that his hand was in mine—I didn't want him going after Aaron right now. Fingers brushed lightly at the spot that hurt probably even more than my head. Black spots appeared in my vision and I squeezed my eyes shut.

"It hurts." I managed to choke out.

The nurse sighed dishearteningly. "You definitely bruised the bones here, possibly even fractured the vertebra. You should go to the emergency room and have it examined." She warned.

I tried to breathe deeply until everything stopped spinning. "Can I go now?" I asked, as soon as I was fairly certain that I could stand up without help. I yanked my shirt back on, buttoning it up from the bottom, not bothering with the few at the top.

"Only if you are intending to have this young man take you to a hospital." She said sternly. I bit back my retort. Dean stood, helping me to my feet.

"Yes ma'am. That's where we're headed." He promised, pulling me gently back out into the hall.

I yanked away from him once we were out of the nurse's sight, so that I might catch the last part of History class. "Whoa. Where do you think you're going?" He asked angrily.

"To class. I just need an aspirin and I'll be fine." I muttered.

"Andie." He said warningly.

"Seriously Dean, Caleb's going to have enough of a heart attack without the surprise hospital bill. I'm fine. I won't fall asleep, I promise." I said, pulling on my uniform jacket to hide the bruise on my arm.

He grabbed my wrist as I turned to get to class. I was going to protest until I saw the look on his face. It startled me—fear looked out of place in his expression. I let him pull me back into his arms. "That was way too close. Give me a second." He said, holding me close.

I rested my head on his shoulder, letting everything that had just happened catch up with me. What would Aaron have done if Dean hadn't shown up? The thought made me feel sick to my stomach. Resting my hands lightly on his hips, I pulled away enough to catch his eyes.

"I'm going to go find my brother. He'll deal with Aaron—if he hasn't already gotten the hell out of town." I joked. He didn't really look appeased, so I reached up to kiss him hastily.

"Tell Sam I'll be back tonight, and I'll bring something better than pizza." I said lightly, and slid out of his grasp, racing to the last class before lunch. I needed some time to decide the most diplomatic way of telling the guys about this morning.

On the bright side, it might make them forget about yesterday… maybe.

I made my way slowly to the mess hall fifteen minutes later. I wasn't sure if I was happy or disappointed that they were all gathered there already. I could tell from the way they were all completely silent that they were waiting for me.

I tried to remember yesterday's fight. It came crashing back on me harshly, causing me to nearly stumble, but I caught myself, took a deep breath, and made my way to the table, taking a seat between Pogue and Tyler, the calmest of the group.

"Andromeda." Caleb said, leveling his serious gaze at me.

"Caleb, I'm not in the mood, okay? Besides, we have bigger issues." He cocked an eyebrow disbelievingly. So I continued. "Today I was late for history class."

"Shocker." Reid muttered. I shot him a dirty look.

"Sorry D, but that's not really news." Pogue said with a chuckle.

I rolled my eyes. "Trust me, the story I'm about to tell you is going to top yesterday." I muttered.

"Oh joy." Tyler snapped uncharacteristically.

"Lay it on me." Caleb mumbled, shoving his food away from him.

"So… anyways… I was late getting out of Choir practice, and the hallway was empty, the second bell had already rung. And I ran into Aaron." I said, lowering my voice. My brother was suddenly alert.

"What happened?" He asked swiftly.

Reid growled impatiently, scanning the crowded room for him. "You won't find him; he's probably in the ER right now." I said with a snicker. The blond Son's mouth fell open.

"What did you _do_ D?" Pogue asked with a laugh of his own.

I shrugged. "Nothing. But Dean Winchester more than likely broke his nose." I said nonchalantly. "Not that he didn't deserve it." I added, letting my jacket slip down my arm enough for them to see the purple and black handprint. I'd decided that I'd keep the rest of it to myself. There was no way I was hiding my arm regardless.

Caleb stood swiftly. "That's it. He's done for." He snapped, his dark eyes flashing with danger.

I scoffed. "Come on Caleb. We both know _you_ aren't going to cut class to go hunt down a loser like him." I said.

"Yeah, but I would." Reid said, his eyes still on the ugly bruise. I pulled my jacket back on all the way. _That_ I believed.

"Can plotting Abbot's murder please wait? I just thought you should know what happened. You know, I'd rather it not happen again." I said mildly.

"This isn't a joke D." Tyler said sounding thunderstruck. "What if this Dean kid hadn't shown up?" That was Ty, the logical one.

I shrugged. "Nothing good. But he did. And then he took me to the nurse's office… she said I should skip the rest of the day." I said, sliding the note she'd given me to my brother as proof.

"Andie, you can be sure that I'll take care of Abbot. But we still need to talk about yesterday." Caleb said reluctantly. I let my head fall lightly onto the table, _not_ a good idea.

Lifting my eyes to his, I was grudgingly honest. "I went to the Colony House."

"Like I buy that."

"Call Gorman." I shot back. "I went and talked to Dad." I said, glancing around in case anyone was listening.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because I had a question for him. And he answered it. End of story." I said, adamant that I would not discuss what I'd been told.

"You were there until midnight?" He asked skeptically. I sighed.

"No. I was hanging out with Dean and his little brother Sam… we ordered pizza, watched a movie… you know, normal teenager stuff Caleb." I said exhaustedly.

"Normal teenage stuff is what I'm worried about." He muttered under his breath. I stuck my tongue out at him.

"The nurse told me I didn't get to go to sleep, but I'm going back to my room—if I go to Trig there's no way I'm staying awake." I pointed out, climbing heavily to my feet.

Caleb grabbed my wrist as I passed him. "D, I'm sorry." I knew he meant for the whole thing with Aaron. Everything Abbot did was somehow aimed at hurting Caleb, and this was what he'd been worried about happening for the last year and a half.

"I know Caleb, and it's okay, nothing happened. I think we all owe Dean a thank you though." I said pointedly.

He sighed. "I agree. I don't like it, but I agree." He said, giving me a half-smile.

Tyler insisted on walking me back to my room. "This is ridiculous Ty! He's not gonna be hanging around trying to corner me again, it didn't work out that well for him in the first place." I said, as he opened the door for me.

I climbed in to bed, flinging my jacket on the floor. "You aren't supposed to go to sleep." He said sternly.

"Then keep me awake." I challenged.

Ty sighed and sat down on the edge of my bed. "Tell me about your boyfriend." He said, sounding resigned but curious at the same time.

I giggled. "You're the best Ty." I said, before launching into everything great and wonderful that is Dean Winchester.

It was probably an hour later when there was a quiet knock on the door. "Come in!" I called, when Tyler made no move to answer it.

The door swung in softly. "Hey, I was just checking on you… I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

I giggled, "Speak of the devil. Dean, this is my best friend Tyler Simms, Ty, this is Dean." Tyler got reluctantly to his feet, holding out a hand while looking Dean up and down critically.

"Nice to meet you… looks like we owe you one." He said, the sincerity ringing in his voice, as he nodded back toward me.

I smiled as Dean blushed. "Don't mention it. That kid had it coming, I wish I'd hit him harder." He said, moving further into the room and sitting down on the edge of the bed near my feet.

"Don't worry." Tyler said, a grim smile on his usually-innocent face. "We've got it covered."

"Ty…" I warned.

"I'll come say goodnight later. Dean, it was nice to meet you. Make sure you don't let her fall asleep." He said, giving me a look. "And _you_. Be good." He said sternly. I stuck my tongue out at him as he snickered and closed the door behind him.

"How are you feeling?" Dean asked, moving so he was closer to me, placing one hand lightly on my hip.

His deep gaze was concerned, his eyes studying my face. I smiled sheepishly. "Good until you got here, now I'm dizzy again." I teased.

"Not funny." He said.

I giggled. "Really?" I yanked on his arm, pulling his body closer until I could reach his face, pulling his mouth to mine. What might have happened with Aaron had been haunting me since lunch time.

He let me have my way for a few minutes, but then he pulled away with a chuckle. "I didn't come in here for this Andie."

"So?" I asked, pouting.

He smirked. "Don't laugh, but your brother scares me. Whatever Aaron has coming… I don't want any of that heat in my direction. I think we should both take it easy." He said, kissing me lightly before pulling back again.

I made a face. "I thought you weren't one for rules." I pressed, quoting him from the night at Nicky's.

Finally I'd pushed him over the line. I thought idly that it must be a specialty of mine. The mischievousness gleamed in his eyes.

When his mouth caught mine it was rougher than before, deeper too. He caught my bottom lip between his teeth lightly; causing me to gasp… it was like every nerve in my body was on fire. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him impossibly closer.

He moved, supporting his weight on one hand, the other still on my hip. Even so, I could still feel every line of his body pressing down onto mine.

Before I realized what I was doing, I was struggling with his tie, grappling with the buttons on his shirt. I mean, he'd already seen me without mine, right? Every inch of his chest was muscle, whatever workout he used was definitely doing the trick.

But when I twisted my arms so I could undo the buttons on my own shirt, his hands caught my wrists. He rolled over so he was lying on his back, his head on my pillow. He'd pulled me on top of him, refusing to let go of my hands.

"Andie. I'm trying to hold on to my self-control here, and you're making it extremely hard." He said.

I grinned. "Well that's the idea."

He still didn't release me, though I was quite comfortable. "Hey. I don't really think this is helpful right now—you should be resting. I promise, there will be time to play doctor later." He said with a quick smirk, causing my heart to speed up considerably at the thought.

I sighed in defeat, collapsing my tense position. I let my head fall to his shoulder, far preferable to a pillow anyway. "Fine. But I'm holding you to that." I said, yawning.

"Don't fall asleep." He warned, trailing his fingers lightly up and down my spine, skipping over the place in the center that hadn't stopped throbbing in almost three hours.

"That's not helping." I said sleepily.

He laughed, not stopping. "Really?" I nodded. "Talk to me D." He demanded.

"No." I muttered childishly. "I wanna take a nap."

"Andie… don't make me tickle you." He warned. I didn't respond. Suddenly his fingers tensed, poking my ribs in just the right places.

I yelped, jumping away from him. "Damn it Dean!" He stayed where he was, smirking.

"Stay awake." He told me again.

"_Why_? Don't tell me a nap doesn't sound amazing after what happened this morning." I said, the pain in my arm and the sharp hurt in my back, added to my spinning head were not putting me in a good mood. And the boy that I wanted to be acting like my boyfriend was acting more like a babysitter.

He sat up, reaching for my hand to pull me back toward him, but I backed up until I was sitting at the foot of my bed. His eyes widened in confusion. "Come on Andie. You know what the nurse said… and Tyler just said-" He started.

"Why?" I asked again, wrapping my arms around myself. He looked at me quizzically. "Why does it always come down to them? My brother? Tyler? Pogue, Reid?" I asked, my voice breaking with my heart. "I'm so sick of coming in last to them." I said shakily.

His expression darkened. "That's not fair Andie." He said.

"Life's not fair Dean." I threw back, trying to hold back the sob that was caught in my throat, but a sniffle broke loose.

"You're right." He said softly, "Life isn't fair. I'm sorry—I wish it was. But I can guarantee you one thing, you are far, far more important to me than your brother, or your friends. I swear, Andie—I'm just trying to do what's best for _you_." He stressed. I could see the honesty in his eyes.

This time I let him pull me gently back into his arms, I let him tuck my head under his chin and rock me back and forth, like a small child. "Hey Andie?" He said, after ten minutes or so had passed.

I took a moment to answer him. I really just wanted to take a nap.

"Yeah." I muttered sleepily.

"You know, earlier, in the hallway…" I stiffened. I was trying to keep Aaron Abbot out of my mind completely. "Was he really just doing that to get to your brother?" He asked, a note of anxiety in his voice.

I shrugged. "Abbot is a creep. He was doing it to be a pain in the ass." I said simply.

I was on the edge of sleep now, more in dreamland than the world of the awake. "Well it scared the hell out of me, seeing you cornered like that." He said softly. "I promise you the next time someone pulls a stunt like that, I won't be responsible for what I do to the son of a bitch." His tone hardened.

"S'okay Dean." I said slowly, my eyes closed securely, my mind already far away. "You don't have to be worried about me… everyone else knows better than to mess with the Daughter of Ipswich." I sighed, losing touch with the conscious world altogether.

* * *

**so...? whatdaya think?  
review!!**

**preview of next chapter:**

_The first thing I noticed was the rifle that had been flung on the bed. That alone made my heart stop, looking up, I felt my eyes widen even more when I caught sight of the large man in the doorway. His dark features were sharp and disapproving, his presence was threatening, his eyes angry.  
_


	7. Chapter 6: when a stranger calls

**Alrighty, I haven't been getting as many reviews as I thought I might, but that's okay, this story is half written, and I'm going to post it for those of you who _are_ reading it_._**

**Anyways, here's chapter six, and personally, this is where I think it starts getting interesting :)**

**Again, I own absolutely nothing!**

**_~wwsadd_**

* * *

Chapter Six: When a Stranger Calls

I woke to my cell phone singing. Rolling over, I grabbed blindly for the offending piece of technology.

"Whadayawant?" I mumbled.

Whoever it was, laughed. "Come on Andie, get your butt up, you weren't supposed to fall asleep."

"Reid?"

"Yeah?"

"Bite me." I retorted, hanging up on him. Groaning, I rolled off the bed on onto my feet, having to grab the nightstand for support. "Ouuuch." I complained to myself.

I realized, belatedly, that I _was_ by myself. But when I'd fallen asleep… Where'd he go? Punching some numbers into my phone, I waited impatiently for him to pick up. By the seventeenth ring I realized I wasn't going to get a hold of him. That made my mood go from bad to worse. I didn't quite feel comfortable driving over to his place…he'd been the one to leave, but I wasn't one to sit around waiting for him to come back either.

Stumbling to my closet, I yanked on the only clean pair of ripped up jeans I owned, and gingerly pulled off my shirt, wincing when the movement tugged on the wound on my back.

Finding the lightest long sleeved shirt I could, I pulled it swiftly over my head, cursing. Whatever my brother did to Abbot, he totally deserved it. Going to my desk, I sat down in the chair, rubbing the smudged eyeliner off from under my eyes, and brushing out my hair gently.

Finally, I felt somewhat presentable, and I picked my phone back up. "Reid, I'm up. What now?" I asked playfully.

He snickered. "We all thought maybe we needed a family vacation. Want to go cause trouble in Boston?"

I giggled. "Getting out of Ipswich sounds good to me." I told him.

"Then stop being such a girl! We're waiting—get up here." He said, hanging up on me this time.

I shook my head with a slight laugh, hit the lights, and grabbed my keys. I raced up the narrow staircase, slamming to a halt in front of Reid and Tyler's door. I knocked four times, and heard one knock in reply before the door swung open.

"About time!" Tyler mocked, letting me in. I reached out to pinch his cheek.

"Well we aren't all as effortlessly adorable as you." I said in a baby voice, dodging him as he tried to grab me.

An hour later, we were all piled in Tyler's brand-new Hummer, Reid driving—naturally. I called shotgun, much to the youngest Son's displeasure. "So…" I started, after an intense debate on cars versus motorcycles and their level of sexiness, "What exactly did you guys do to Aaron?"

I turned in my seat so I could look around the headrest at Caleb. He smirked. "You definitely don't want to know." I groaned, rolling my eyes.

"That's my line!" I shot back. He shrugged.

"Apparently not today."

"Speaking of things that we don't want to know… how long did that Dean kid keep you awake before you passed out?" Pogue asked suggestively. I snorted when Caleb reached over and smacked him.

"Yeah,_ I_ know that _I _don't want to hear this." Reid said, ignoring the road to fling a pointed look over his shoulder at my brother.

"Glad to see you're catching on." I said with a wink.

Caleb's eyes got wide; it looked like he wasn't breathing. "Kidding!" I said, smiling angelically.

"Andie, you know, one of these days you might just give me a heart attack." He muttered.

I giggled. "Love you."

"Hey D? What did your dad say yesterday?" Tyler asked, switching subjects. I sighed.

"Uh… he's didn't really make a lot of sense. I think maybe he's a little low in the whole brain-cell department. And Gorman threw me out like, ten minutes after I got there anyway." I hedged. I didn't want to share with them what he'd said about me having to save them. We were finally having fun together as a group… not quite like old times, but as close to it as we'd been in over a year.

I thought telling them that our crazy father thought they were all in danger and that I'd be the one to save them…as much of a laugh as they'd be sure to get out of that, it'd still put a strain on the night.

"You didn't mean what you said yesterday about not belonging… did you?" I almost laughed at the worried look on my best friend's face.

"I belong." I muttered, pressing the release on the seatbelt and climbing over the middle consul into the back, squeezing between Caleb and Ty. "Right here." I added, linking my arm through Tyler's.

"Glad to see you're catching on." My brother said with a laugh, slinging an arm over my shoulders. I grinned.

We ran around Boston, Reid and I stirring up enough trouble to get kicked out of two clubs and almost get arrested all before midnight. I'd laughed harder than I had in a long time.

"Did you see the look on his face?" I squealed, as the cruiser finally pulled away from the curb. "He's going to need to see a shrink."

Reid smirked and shrugged nonchalantly. "Those guys are never going to try to kick kids out of a bar again."

"Oh great, more teen drinking. Just exactly what we need." Caleb joked, pulling me by the hand back to the Hummer.

I shrugged. "You only live once bro." I shot back, hopping up into the front seat and cranking up the radio.

It was late when we got back to school, and I bid my friends goodnight, heading to my room.

Walking in, I flipped on the light. "Grrr…Damn D. Turn off the light!" Kate muttered. "And get your phone to stop beeping before I throw it out the window." She grumbled.

I hadn't realized that I'd left it on my dresser. "Sorry!" I whispered, changing into pajama shorts and a tank top. I grabbed the phone and slipped back into the hallway.

I had six missed calls, two text messages, and one voicemail. The texts were both from Kate, so I ignored them. Quickly dialing my voicemail box, I punched in the code and hopped from one bare foot to the other, freezing my butt off.

"Hey Andie… I really need to talk to you… now…call me the minute you get this…please." _Click_

"What _now_?" I asked the empty corridor. I hit 'Call Back', and listened to it ring fifteen times. Growling under my breath, I ended the call.

Dialing again, I hit the keys on my phone extra hard. "Directory Assistance." The voice answered.

"Winchester." I said quickly.

"State?"

"Massachusetts."

"I'm sorry ma'am, there's no Winchester listed in Massachusetts." I was brought up short. Maybe he hadn't got the phone set up in his apartment yet?

"California?" I asked impatiently.

"First name?"

"Dean. Dean Winchester."

"Sorry."

"Thanks anyway." I said, flipping my phone shut and stomping my foot. What the hell?

I paced back and forth in the hallway, trying to figure out if he'd sounded serious enough to warrant a drive over there at nearly one in the morning.

Sighing, I slipped back into my room, and into bed. He was the one that didn't answer his phone… and he must know he's completely unlisted. It must not be that important.

I prayed for a dreamless slumber.

But apparently my luck had run out.

_  
"Damn it Abbot, leave me the hell alone!" I groaned. No… there's no way this was happening again…_

_  
"I don't think so,_ _little Danvers." He growled, his hand digging harshly into my hip, pressing me tightly against the row of lockers. I whimpered, from pain and fear._

_  
His hips were even with mine, his face just inches away. "Why don't you call for your body guards huh?" He mocked. I reached out with the flat of my hand and slapped him as hard as I could manage. He started to laugh, his fingers digging even deeper into my skin. _

"_Kinky." He said, his hot breath in my face, making my head spin unpleasantly. His mouth was way too close to me… the hand on my hip snaked its way upward toward my chest, and I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for my savior to show up. _

_  
A moment later I realized, trapped in my nightmare, that Dean wasn't here… he wasn't going to save me this time. Abbot's face contorted, a sickening expression of desire twisted with revenge. His hands tore at my clothes, managing to rip my shirt off, scattering the little buttons all over the tiled floor._

_  
He leaned in even further; I winced when I felt his teeth graze my throat. "Get off me." I shouted, shoving him with all my might. He didn't budge, but he laughed maliciously._

"_I like little girls that have some fight in them." He purred._

_  
The nightmare went on, and on, and I at last gave up hope of escaping it._

By the time he was done I was a bloody crying mess, alone on the floor. That was when I was finally able to wake myself up screaming.

"Andie! Andromeda, wake up!" I jerked up into a sitting position. Kate looked terrified, sitting on the edge of my bed. "You were screaming in your sleep." She said shakily.

I was breathing heavily, trying to shake the images out of my head. The horrifying images. I attempted a smile at her. "I should really lay off the horror movies, eh?" I asked.

"We both know that had nothing to do with a scary movie D. I've been trying to wake you up for almost an hour… I nearly ran up to get Reid and Tyler, but I didn't want to leave you alone." She said softly.

I shrugged. "Look, I don't want to freak you out or anything, but I ran into Aaron Abbot earlier today." I said, flipping on the bedside light so she could see the massive bruise from his fingers. "It wasn't pretty—and unfortunately my mind must be on instant replay." I muttered.

"Holy." She said quietly. "What did Caleb do?"

"He told me I didn't want to know."

She whistled. "I wonder if he'll even show his face again? God, I thought everyone in the state of Massachusetts knew better than to mess with you."

I shrugged. "Some people are a little slower than others on the uptake apparently." I said grimly.

"Are you going to try to fall back asleep?" She asked apprehensively.

I shook my head. "No way. If I have another dream like that, it'll put me in the nut house." I muttered, climbing shakily out of bed.

"If you're going upstairs…watch for the hall monitor up there, he's like, paranoid about girls on the boys' floor—I think he might be gay." She said, in that gossip-girl kind of voice. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not going upstairs." I said, grabbing my keys from the nightstand and making sure I had my cell phone. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Where _are_ you going?" She asked suspiciously, eyeing her own phone.

"Don't even think about it." I warned her. She'd gotten me in enough trouble recently. "I'm just going for a drive." I lied, being careful to pull the door shut securely behind me.

I didn't remember that it was the middle of winter until I let the maintenance door slam shut, locking me out. Shivering in my short shorts and thin tank, I raced to my truck and blasted the heater.

Fighting against the terror of my dream, the terror from that morning that the nightmare rekindled, I sped through town, to the place that'd I'd felt safest in a long time. Throwing the truck in park, I nearly fell out, I was shaking so hard.

Stumbling up the steps, I banged on the door, knowing I'd owe Sammy a huge apology. It was flung open two minutes later, and I stepped back quickly, wondering if this was a sequel to my nightmare, and that maybe Kate never even really woke me up.

"Andie?" He asked incredulously, tossing the pistol that had been in his hand onto the table and yanking me inside. "What the hell are you doing out driving around like this at four in the morning?" Gesturing to my p.j's.

"Because when I woke up screaming fifteen minutes ago, I sorta forgot that it's January." I said softly, still shivering. Concern darkened his features, and he pulled me further inside, toward the small couch in the living room.

"Screaming?" He asked, sitting down and pulling me with him. I curled into his warm side, relishing in the heat.

"Yeah. I had a nightmare about what…what might have happened if you hadn't shown up to save me in the hallway." I stuttered. The arm that held me to him tightened. "I don't know why I came over here, mostly just to convince myself that I'm awake." I told him.

He pulled my face closer to his. "You're awake. I'll…keep you safe." He said, close enough that his lips were moving on mine. His words were heavy, like it cost him something to say them. I closed the little space still left between us, kissing him swiftly before pulling back from him.

"I know you will." I sighed contentedly. Suddenly I was overcome with exhaustion; the adrenaline had faded out of my system as quickly as it had appeared. "Dean?" I asked, letting my eyelids flutter closed, my head resting comfortably on his shoulder.

He sounded preoccupied. "Hmmm?"

"Can I crash on your couch? I don't want to risk driving back to school tonight." I mumbled. I felt him chuckle lightly, the sound vibrating through his body.

"No." He said. I struggled to get my eyes open.

"Okay okay, I'll leave." I mumbled, hurt.

He laughed again, pulling me up into his arms easily like he had before. "Not the couch." He said. And the next thing I knew, my face was buried in a pillow that smelled like him, and his arms pulled me into the warm curve of his body. I felt his heart beating where his chest was pressed lightly against my shoulder.

"I think I love you." I mumbled, more asleep than awake, praying that this time, when I woke up, he'd still be next to me.

******

I was awoken when I felt something heavy land on the bed. I sat up quickly, blinking sleep out of my eyes and trying not to pass out from the way my head was spinning. Finally my eyes focused, and I felt Dean sit up swiftly next to me, his body tensed.

The first thing I noticed was the rifle that had been flung on the bed. That alone made my heart stop, looking up, I felt my eyes widen even more when I caught sight of the large man in the doorway. His dark features were sharp and disapproving, his presence was threatening, his eyes angry. His stature and his style both hinted at military roots.

"Get your ass up, Dean; we've got work to do. Send your little friend here on her way; then get your brother." He snapped. I shuddered, who was this guy, and why did he think he could treat people like that?

Dean didn't move, he seemed to be in shock, his eyes disbelieving. I looked back and forth between them, as I did that, I began to see a resemblance. Stunned, I finally put two and two together. "You heard me kid, beat it." He said roughly, not even sparing me a glance. Turning back to the boy in the bed, he barked, reminding me of a drill sergeant. "I don't have time for this bull shit Dean. Have you found them yet or not?" He demanded.

* * *

**ha ha ha. gotta love johnny :)**


	8. Chapter 7: striking the match

**Hey everyone!! I know it's been a while. . . . I've been super busy. I hope this chapter makes up for it!! Let me know what y'all think!**

**and of course, I own absolutely nothing. . . not even the computer I'm typing on!**

**enjoy the John-Winchester jerkiness!**

**_~wwsadd_**

* * *

Striking the Match

My heart had literally stopped beating in my chest. I wasn't sure if I should be acutely embarrassed, scared out of my wits, or if this was some huge joke and I should be laughing along. My boyfriend's dad just barged in on us together in his bed . . . his very intimidating dad. I was still trying to process all of this, when the man made an impatient sounding noise and gave me a very pointed look. It obviously said 'get the hell out.'

Apparently the commotion had alerted Sammy, who came barging in and threw himself into the man's embrace. "Dad!" He hollered excitedly. The man's entire demeanor changed, as he grinned at his younger son.

"Hey Sammy." He said, ruffling the child's messy dark hair. The boy didn't reprimand him for using the detested nickname as I'd expected. Instead he just beamed, looking like it was Christmas morning. My mind was trying to catch up, as I looked between the three Winchesters. My eyes caught Dean's, and he looked away quickly, glaring in the other direction. But I'd seen the emotion in his eyes. The emotion I was betting that he was trying to hide.

The pain in his expression triggered my own memories—something in me recognized exactly how he was feeling. It was a horrible sensation, one that I only let myself feel when I was alone in my bed at night and my own brothers were far away. It was a sharp hurt, one that came from being lost and rejected and underappreciated.

I felt a fierce protectiveness suddenly. So what if he was a tough guy? A bad boy? I didn't like knowing just how horrible he was feeling, and it was all because of the man that had just barged in firing orders. The little boy finally realized my presence, causing his eyes to light up even more.

"Andie!" He cried, bouncing up and down with the endless pent up energy that all children have. I didn't even try to smile; I knew how wrong it would turn out if I did. "I didn't know you were coming over too!" He continued, obviously not realizing the tension in the room. Or maybe he was a little like Pogue, and used whatever he could to diffuse the hostility that surrounded him.

"Hey Sam." I said shortly, trying not to snap at him. This wasn't his fault. The man's face hardened, as his eyes caught mine directly for the first time. I held my breath, but met his gaze defiantly. I wasn't one to back down when challenged.

His eyes were piercing too. But in a more sinister way than his son's; I held back a shudder. I could tell he was turning this into a contest, one that I wasn't about to lose. I held my ground while his glare intensified. I stared right back, daring him to cross me.

It seemed like the silence dragged on forever, but it was probably only seconds. Time feels slower when you're holding your breath. Something finally seemed to click in his expression, and he turned his glare to his eldest son. "Dean." He barked.

I felt Dean dense up next to me, like he was being called to attention or something. That only fueled my hate for the man I hadn't even really met yet. "Sir." He seemed to reply automatically. I was digging my teeth into my bottom lip to keep from saying something, but I had never had great self control.

"Who is this?" He asked, waving his hand carelessly in my direction, without looking back at me. There was something that I could only identify as astonishment in his voice, though it was very threatening all the same. That did it.

I slid gracefully (for once) out of the bed, ignoring the fact that I was completely indecently dressed for meeting the parents, so to speak. I was pretty sure the usual rules wouldn't exactly apply here anyway. I marched up to the man, dodging Dean when he tried to grab me and pull me back. "D!" He hissed at me.

Pretending that I didn't hear him, I stopped in front of the man. It looked like he was trying to hold back a laugh. "Look kid…I'm going to give you some free advice, which I'm not known for, so listen up. Play with fire and you'll get burned every time. This place is a match, and I'm about to light it. I suggest you be far away when that happens." He said, his intense glare hiding what seemed like dozens of secrets. It sent chills down my back.

My mind was racing. What could he possibly be talking about? Suddenly I felt an odd sense of foreboding, like something big and bad was going to happen, and soon. I didn't let myself back down though, perhaps foolishly. The reasonable part of my brain was screaming at me to get the hell out while I could still see the exit. The bigger part of me smothered the voice of conscious. I was the Daughter of Ipswich, descended from a long line of magic and courage in the face of danger. It went against my nature to turn  
away from a fight.

"I have some advice for you, _sir_." I sneered. "Try making friends instead of enemies, you never know how much hotter your fire can get until there's no one left to pull you out." The man looked so shocked I thought I might be able to knock him over with a feather.

I felt a presence behind me as a restraining hand landed on my wrist. Dean pulled me back behind him, rather harshly, facing his father with his chin in the air. "Dad…I need a minute. Please." He said softly, and I could see him shaking slightly. Something told me he didn't make a habit of defying the threatening man that was now glowering.

"You better have a damn good excuse Dean." The warning was not empty; it was easy to see as he yanked the younger boy out the door with him, slamming it shut behind himself.

I twisted my hand so that his grip on my wrist broke, grabbing his hand and wrenched him around to face me. "What the hell is going on?" I asked, the panic finally catching up with me as the adrenaline raced through my veins. He must have been able to see the confusion and fear in my eyes, because he pulled me securely against his chest, his arms winding tightly around my shoulders.

Letting myself feel safe for a moment, I buried my face in his shirt. But soon I pulled back, knowing I needed answers, as much as I was afraid of what they might be. "Dean?" I asked, my voice cracking embarrassingly.

His head fell forward, pressing lightly against mine, his eyes squeezed shut tightly. "Andie…I…I'm sorry, this wasn't supposed to happen." He said, his voice so low I almost didn't catch it. The words sent a thrill of terror down my spine. What could possibly scare him? I waited patiently for him to continue. He took a deep breath, keeping his eyes closed.

"I… wish I could tell you…so many things, but I can't. You need to leave." My whole body tensed.

"You don't trust me?" My voice was shriller than I'd wanted it to be. I felt him tense too.

"No! God, Andie, that's not true at all. I told you, my life… it's not exactly normal. It's dangerous, and _he's_ dangerous."He stressed, gesturing to the door that had just slammed shut.

"I'm stronger than you give me credit for." I argued. He sighed.

"I know." He said dejectedly.

I snorted. "Doubtful."I challenged, thinking of my brother…_brothers_. Thinking of my life and how up in the air it already was—how much worse it was going to get in another year. Maybe this was best. Maybe I should just walk away. I didn't need any more trouble, and I certainly didn't need to pull this amazing guy into a world of shadows that I was all but defenseless against.

His hands became restraints around my wrists, his eyes snapped open. I repressed the urge to gasp. His eyes were dark, dangerous, and without a shred of the playful hope that I was used to seeing. He looked…menacing. I tried to pull away, but he wasn't letting me move. His grip on me tightened to the point of pain, and my vivid nightmare flashed across my memory.

His voice was different too. "No, Andromeda, I _know_." I tried again to yank free, and failed again.

"You don't know anything. Let me go." I demanded, hoping that the panic wasn't apparent in my voice.

"I know about your brother and his friends. The Sons of Ipswich. Andie, I'm a _hunter_. I was sent here to destroy the evil that has been plaguing this place since the early seventeenth century."My blood literally ran like ice through my body. His words hit me like blows, and all I could think was that this was all my fault. Somewhere, somehow, I'd let a demon hunter get close, much, much too close.

I fought against his hold on me harder now, with all the energy and racing adrenaline and despair that was in me. He was more than twice my size though, and all muscle. I wanted to cry, to scream, anything that would help me feel a little less like my head was about to explode.

Kicking and shoving, I glared at him with as much hate as I could muster. "Let me go damn it! Get the hell away from me!" I hissed, not wanting to alert the other _hunters_ to our argument. So many things were falling into place.

He refused to let me move an inch. "D, let me finish." He ordered, and I flinched at the nickname only my closest friends used. How dare he? But I wasn't stupid. I realized there was no way I was getting out of there until he released his hold on me.

I glared again, stilling myself but putting all my emotion into my expression instead. He had the decency to look regretful, though I didn't let myself believe that it was genuine. "I was sent here, just like I'd been sent a million other places, following orders, never questioning anything I'd been taught. This is my _life_, Andie. And I'm good at it. Or I was.

"I never wanted to hurt you. This wasn't supposed to happen, I never get close to people, but you…something about you drew me in. It's like finally someone understood _me_. Finally someone saw through the bull shit right to who I am. And it scared the hell out of me. I wanted to tell you, I swear. I didn't show up at the bonfire that night planning to run into the Daughter of Ipswich, let alone fall for her. I didn't even know such a thing existed." He said, and the regret burned in his voice.

I wanted to trust him—he'd told me exactly what I'd suspected was true. There was a connection between us, and it turned out to be a terrible one. One that might tear us both apart. "How am I supposed to buy that? How am I supposed to believe that you didn't just use me to get to my brother?" I asked desperately, wanting so badly for him to have some miraculous answer.

He groaned. "You're not. I can't prove it. You have every right to hate me Andie; I just wanted the chance to tell you the truth." My teeth dug into my bottom lip. I could feel the tears burning behind my eyes.

"That's just it. I don't hate you. I wish I did. Right now I really just hate myself for falling for it." I told him, lying only by withholding the rest of the truth. I finally wrenched myself free of him. The look on his face made the tears start to run down my face. I swiped them away furiously.

His eyes held the same expression as they had earlier when his dad had hugged his little brother. It made me feel a million times worse about everything. "Andie…please. Please believe me. When I told you that you were more important to me than your brother…I wasn't lying—I wasn't playing you." He said, moving to reach out to me, but pausing, seeming to think better of it.

I resisted the urge to throw myself back into his arms. An absolutely horrifying choice seemed to be before me. "What are you going to do now Dean?" I asked, knowing that I didn't want to hear the answer. His expression hardened again, as he glared past me at the firmly closed door.

"He won't stop—he never has, he never will. A demon killed my mother thirteen years ago; ever since then he's been a force of nature. If it's not human, he's not interested in hearing a story—he wants it dealt with. If I don't finish this job, _he_ will."

I shuddered. "What do you want me to do? Caleb is my _brother_ Dean. Tyler, Pogue, Reid…they're the only family I have. I can't just let you hunt them down like animals, they're not… they're good people."I said, the words costing me more than I would ever admit.

"They've got hundreds of years of dark magic in their blood Andie." He pointed out.

There was a note of hysteria in my voice when I answered him. "So do I! I'm the Daughter of Ipswich for Christ's sakes. The same thing that makes them evil is in me too. So don't stand here and tell me that I'm so important to you—if you hate them for what they are, then be honest with yourself and hate me too."I declared.

His eyes widened at the conclusion I'd come to. "I can't hate you." He said shortly. This time when he reached out his fingers lightly cupped the side of my face. "We're so alike. I never thought I'd find someone that understood me the way you do." He whispered. " But neither one of us can turn our backs on our families either." He added.

I bit my lip hard for a minute. "You're right. Do what you have to do Dean." I said as emotionlessly as possible, giving the window a calculating glance. I couldn't handle running into Daddy Winchester again. Thankfully there was a fire escape that created a metal exit to the alley below.

I tried to slip past him but he grabbed my arm. I hissed as his fingers dug into the blossoming bruise. He let go immediately, recognizing his error. "Shit." He muttered. But he'd just let his hand slip down until it was holding mine. "Please… Andie… stay here. This is going to get ugly, and I can't protect you after you walk out that door." He pled.

I was torn, my heart waging war with itself. I memorized his face, his incredible eyes, and then swiftly pulled his face to mine and kissed him as hard as I could. "No worries, I'm not walking out the door." I said quietly. His eyes lit up with hope, until I pulled away swiftly and darted toward the sunlight streaming in.

"I'm using the window." I added, slipping silently through and sliding down the freezing metal ladder. It didn't reach all the way to the ground, naturally, so I let go, falling to my feet and taking off toward the parking lot.

I didn't look back. I knew that soon it was going to catch up with me…all of it. I wasn't quite sure I was going to survive it.

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**I love reviews!!!**

**k thanks :)**


	9. Chapter 8: of history and hunters

**I know it's been forever, but here's another chapter... personally I really like it... but it's really just set up for the next chapter, which will be a huge one (in importance as well as length). Sorry for the wait! Let me know if you're liking it or hating it!!**

**_~wwsadd_**

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Of History and Hunters

I ran until I couldn't run anymore. I nearly collapsed, my heart hammering in my chest. Pushing open the worn wooden door, I had to practically crawl up the creaky old steps. Hesitating only for a moment, I trudged over to the large winged chair by the roaring fire.

"Dad?" I choked, falling at his feet for the second time in mere days. The world must really be turning upside down. His glazed over eyes snagged mine and held. There was a sympathy there that scared me more than anything had yet.

"Andie." He breathed, reaching out with one aged hand. I took it, feeling like a small child. "What is it my daughter?"

I took a deep breath, hoping the panic stayed hidden. "Hunters. They're after Caleb. And Reid and Tyler and Pogue… what do I do?" I begged him for an answer; an answer that wouldn't bring my whole world crashing down around me.

His gaze did not change. I wondered fleetingly why he wasn't horrified for his family. "You…you are here to protect your brothers Andromeda." He repeated himself from our previous discussion.

"What? How? Why would you think that I can face a family of hunters and win?" I asked desperately, the thought of doing anything to hurt Dean, even now, made my heart pound even harder.

It took him a few minutes to answer. "Because you _are_ human, my child. So are they."

I wasn't seeing any connection. "B-b-but—they want to kill Caleb." I stuttered over the words, scared nearly to death. I couldn't let them hurt Caleb; he was my protector, the only one I had left.

His eyes got a knowing look in them, and I wondered once again why he was so calm. "Andie, if you let your brother fight this battle, he will lose. Hunters do not listen to us, they never have. Do you really think this is the first time we've been tracked down by these people? People that think they are doing a service to the greater good?"

My heart was still beating painfully fast, my thoughts running through my mind quicker than I could process them. He wasn't making sense… damn his cryptic remarks! "Not the first time?" Was the only thought that made if from my brain to my mouth.

"Every so often, a hunter comes along, intent on eradicating the evil of Ipswich, or some nonsense. The last time it happened, my great-great-aunt Abigail stopped them. She was the last Daughter of Ipswich. You must follow in her footsteps…" He started coughing. "She didn't fight them, my dear. She _talked_ to them. Human to human. It was far braver than any of your brothers, or mine can boast."

I almost wished he'd told me that I needed to learn karate and kick John Winchester where the sun doesn't shine. This was worse; so, so much worse. "You want me to reason with the man that just threw a rifle at his son and told me he was going to light a match that would blow this town to pieces?" I asked, my voice soft, as I tried to imagine doing such a thing.

Finally, his expression changed from its maddening calmness. He looked… surprised? "You've spoken to them? Do you know their plan?" He asked, before breaking down into another coughing fit.

I waited for it to subside. "Uh… well…not exactly. I ran out when I found out that Dean had been playing me…" I said, letting the sentence trail when I remembered that I was, in fact, talking to my father here.

His face seemed carefully impassive. "You must go back. Save them Andie, blood is thicker than water." He whispered the last words, before another coughing fit interrupted again. His eyes fluttered shut, and I knew I needed to leave. It took nearly all the effort I had left to pull myself back to my feet.

"I will. I will save them." I told him, trying to convince myself more than him. His bowed head nodded, his eyes did not open. Finding an extra reserve of energy, I flew back down the wooden steps, past Gorman, and back out into the afternoon sun.

Slowing to a walk, I made toward the school, knowing that if I timed it just right, I would catch them all together. I wasn't sure what I was going to say to them just yet, but I knew it wouldn't be the whole truth. I loved my brother, but I wasn't giving him the benefit of the doubt. He wouldn't let me fight this battle alone, and if Dad was right… then it was the only shot we had at surviving for another 300 years.

Luck must have been with me, or maybe against me. I got back to Spenser just as the final bell was ringing. I stopped in my room to throw on a sweatshirt and jeans. Slamming the door behind me I ran down the hallway.

Racing up four flights of stairs, I threw open the door to Reid and Tyler's room. Caleb and Pogue had dumped their books by the door, and everyone looked slightly shocked to see me.

At least they were all together, so I was only going to have to lie once. "Andie, I just spent an hour convincing the Provost not to expel you. Where the hell have you been?" My brother asked, pinching the bridge of his nose as though he had a migraine.

I sucked in a deep breath. "You don't want to hear it Caleb." I warned.

His eyes snapped back open. "Probably not. But you're going to tell me anyway." He said, and I could hear the note of sternness in his voice. He meant business. I fell to the floor near Reid's feet, leaning back against his bed.

"I needed to ask Dad a question, so I went out to the Colony House. Once again, Gorman can vouch for me." I told him.

Reid nearly kicked me in the head as he sat up swiftly. The next thing I knew he was sitting on the floor next to me, his icy eyes locked on mine. "What did you need to ask him D?" He said. I bit down on my bottom lip hard. "D…" He prodded. "You know you're going to tell me one way or another. You've been keeping secrets, and it's going to stop." He deadpanned.

I sucked in a breath around my teeth that were still tearing into my bottom lip. No one was laughing this time. I let myself imagine what would happen if I told the truth this time. I would lose them all; I'd be all alone in this world full of monsters. Letting that reality sink in, I finally answered him.

"No." I bit out. "It's not. Not this time Reid. Sometimes secrets are what make the world keep spinning on its axis." I said, my voice becoming stronger as I felt the rightness in my words. I'd never lied directly to them before. Obviously I got caught every time. But this time it was more than mere happiness or avoidance of a fight that hung in the balance. This time it was life. And not my life-lives that were infinitely more important.

The silence was deafening. Reid's blond eyebrows disappeared into his mess of hair. I glanced around. Everyone looked stunned. But Caleb looked terrified, and it scared me more than anything had yet. "Andromeda… what's going on?" He asked, getting up from where he'd been sitting at Tyler's desk and coming over to crouch in front of me, his dark eyes level with mine.

I tried to smile, but gave up when I felt it turn into a grimace. "Caleb. Look, I love you all, and Dad just gave me a little history lesson. He was making a point, and I finally get it. We all have a part to play- end of story. Consider this a heads up. Just watch your backs, all of you." I said, my eyes flitting to Pogue's worried gaze and Tyler's puzzled glare.

"Watch our backs? Why? What are we watching for?" Reid demanded, his eyes still wide in shock. His little Jedi-mind trick had never _ever_ failed before.

I shrugged. "You'll know when you see it. But you won't see it until after the fact. At least, if things go according to plan." I said, knowing my words sounded like a riddle, though unintentionally. I was making this up as I went along.

"Whose plan?" Caleb asked severely. His voice was thick with concern. I knew he was trying to decide if I was in massive amounts of trouble or if I'd finally lost it. Shifting so I was on my knees, I hugged my big brother tightly, something I didn't do nearly often enough.

Pulling away and scrambling gracelessly to my feet, I sighed. "Mine." Caleb straightened up, towering over me by almost a foot. I nearly smirked. He always pulled the height card on me, and this was the first time it didn't bug me.

"Andie, what did you do?" Pogue asked, his gruff voice uncommonly serious. The biker was supposed to provide the comedic relief. I tore my gaze away from Caleb's to smile at his best friend reassuringly.

"I chose a side. I know I'm not making sense, but someday you'll all understand. I finally get why I'm the Daughter of Ipswich. Soon everyone else will too. Try not to worry; you guys age fast enough without the added stress-related wrinkles." I joked, slipping toward the door. I ran into a body halfway there though. The black was fading out of my best friend's eyes.

"Ty…" I sighed tiredly. If anyone was going to convince me to stay at this point it was him. His warm fingers wrapped around my chin, forcing my face up so his eyes could lock with mine.

"This isn't funny Andie." He said anxiously. I smiled, this time holding it in place.

"I know it's not. I'm not kidding around here. There is something I have to do. It just so happens that this time I have to do it alone." I explained softly. I saw the opposition to my words in his eyes.

"You never have to be alone D." I heard from behind me. I didn't need to turn to see who'd spoken.

"I promise you Reid, this time I do." I said, though I was talking as much to Tyler as to Reid. "I just wanted you all to have a fair warning. If I'm not back tomorrow… go talk to Dad." I told them, knowing that even if they jumped the gun, William Danvers the third would not.

"You know you're freaking us all out, right?" Ty asked, releasing his hold on my face but pulling me into a warm embrace. I nodded against his shoulder, hugging him back.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. This time it's not intentional." I joked, though I was completely serious. Tugging out of his grasp I safely made it through the door and down the stairs to my own room. Thankfully Kate was nowhere to be found. Probably out looking for Pogue.

Changing into a dark green tank top and grabbing my leather jacket, I turned toward my mirror. I decided my ass-kicking look was missing something, and I hurriedly pulled on leather boots that reached nearly to my knees. I touched up my dark makeup and decided it was going to have to do.

The walk to Dean's apartment felt much too short, though not so much according to my feet, which were already starting to ache in the boots that had a three and a half inch heel on them. Banging on the door, I took a calming breath. Talk. Just talk. I told myself it wouldn't be that bad. After all, I'd talked more to Dean recently than I had to anyone else. How much worse could this be?

The resolve that had hardened in me flew out the window when the door swung swiftly open. "You." The large dark man made the one word sound so menacing. "I thought I told you to get lost."

I didn't break eye-contact, keeping my brothers' faces in my mind. Blood was thicker than water. "And I told you not to slam the door on new friends." I said, working extra hard to make my tone friendly. "I'm here to talk to you, Mr. Winchester."

One dark brow rose impressively. "Oh really? About what, pray-tell?" He asked condescendingly. I thought he had a slightly amused look in his eyes though. Like father like son, obviously. I beckoned to my truck.

"About the hunt you are on here. My name is Andromeda Danvers, I'm the Daughter of Ipswich, and I'm here to bargain for my brother's life." I told him, backing lightly down the steps. If he was surprised he didn't show it. He followed me slowly, after throwing a cautious glance into the dark depths of the lightless apartment.

"How do I know this isn't a trap? You think I'm just going to leave my boys…?" He asked calculatingly.

"You are the hunter; I'm the one that should be afraid, no?" I asked. He didn't look entirely convinced. "Look, Mr. Winchester, Dean and I…we each made the choice to help our own family. He'd stop any trap that my brother tried to set up. He's on _your_ side." I said swiftly, hoping that the boy in question didn't suddenly make an appearance.

Finally Daddy Winchester looked satisfied. Pulling the door shut quickly and silently behind him, he followed me to my abandoned truck and climbed in the passenger side. I threw it in reverse and pealed out. Neither of us spoke until we hit the darkening highway.

"So." He began. I tried to keep my breathing even. I was locked in a vehicle moving at seventy miles an hour with a man who wanted my entire family dead. I had to remind myself that this was my plan. "Whose side are _you_ on?" He asked, and I knew the words were a challenge.

Leveling my gaze at him instead of on the familiar road in front of me, I answered him as honestly as I could. "I'm on whichever side insures the continued existence of my family and my heritage. So you tell me."

**

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I know I've neglected this story, but anyone that's still reading it... I really appreciate your thoughts!! review!!**


	10. Chapter 9: of deals and demons

**To anyone still reading this… I know it's been months since I last updated. I'm taking three college literature classes right now, and haven't had time to do anything but read lately. but I'm back! at least for now… **

**as always, review and let me know what you thought!**

_**~wwsadd**_

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Of Deals and Demons

I resisted the urge to flip on the radio for all of about thirty seconds. Music calmed me like nearly nothing else could, and it was definitely shaping up to be that kind of day. I tried not to overanalyze the fact that the song playing was Blue Oyster Cult's _Don't Fear the Reaper_.

Daddy Winchester seemed to find the same irony in it that I did, made apparent by his soft chuckle as the lyrics reached the chorus. I snickered too, casting a sidelong glance in his direction. "Coincidence?" I asked slyly.

"Or a warning." He countered.

"For you or for me?" I retorted.

"Looks like that's what we're here to figure out." He said, an unidentifiable edge in his voice. Though I wasn't _comfortable_, per se, I strangely felt like I was right where I needed to be. The fear that had been plaguing me since escaping through Dean's window had disappeared as swiftly as the wind speeding past the windows of my truck.

"Okay, so… you're a hunter…?" I asked, figuring I might as well get the conversation kicked off in the right direction.

He cleared his throat once and I felt his gaze on my face even as I kept my eyes trained on the winding black road in front of me. "Yes. And you are…?"

I threw him a swift, withering look. "Human. But more than that, I'm a daughter, a sister, and a friend. And you are threatening my whole family, the only family I have." I said shortly. There was a moment of silence, while the foreboding words of the song on the radio hung in the air between us.

_  
And it was clear she couldn't go on  
Then the door was open and the wind appeared  
The candles blew then disappeared  
The curtains flew then he appeared...saying don't be afraid  
Come on baby...and she had no fear  
And she ran to him...then they started to fly  
They looked backward and said goodbye...she had become like they are  
She had taken his hand...she had become like they are  
Come on baby...don't fear the reaper_

It seemed as though he didn't have a reply. I hoped that meant he had seen the truth in my words and knew what I was getting at. Taking an obscure turn off the highway, I drove, still too fast, through the forest.

"You know what it's like to have your family torn away from you. Dean told me about your wife, and I'm sorry. But please, Mr. Winchester, don't go and do the same thing to me. I won't have anywhere to turn, and trust me; time itself will leave me abandoned soon enough." I bit out, voicing my deepest fear.

I hadn't formed a real plan, just concentrated on my father's advice. Talking human to human was something I _could_ do, after all. My passenger sighed heavily. "Okay kid, I'm listening." He finally conceded.

By this point I wasn't sure where we were going, the pavement had turned to gravel, and I was merely following the slight curve through the dense trees. "First of all, my brother Caleb… he's the golden child, the smart, kind, perfect one… he would never hurt anyone. Not ever.

"And the rest of them, they follow his lead. It's the way our families have always been. We were persecuted three hundred years ago by people crazed with fear of things they didn't understand. There is magic here, you won't ever hear me deny that. But it's not evil. Those two things aren't exclusively synonymous." I pressed, impressing myself with my own vocabulary.

Again there was silence. I resolved to wait for him to speak this time. I directed my truck through the forest, and flipped on the windshield wipers when the rain began to fall. It seemed to become a battle of the wills as we both sat stubbornly, not saying a word.

Shock passed through me when a large dark building loomed up in a clearing to my left. I swiftly spun the wheel and hit the brakes, pulling the truck roughly off the road. I hadn't been out here in years. Even the boys never came out here for anything.

John was giving me a semi-concerned glare. Maybe I _had_ lost my mind. "What is this place? A one-stop magic shop?" He asked condescendingly. I stuck my tongue out, getting tired of being mature already.

"It's Putnam Barn. If you're looking for evil, I'd recommend starting here." He moved to open the door, but I hurried to stop him. "I'd start here… if it were the mid 1600's, when John Putnam turned on his brothers. This was the evil of Ipswich, and it's gone now. All that's left is a family that is trying to get by living with a curse that no one asked for." I said sharply, the dilapidated wood of the barn in front of me giving me creepy chills down my spine.

I turned in my seat to lock eyes with John Winchester, turning off the engine and pulling my keys out of the ignition. "I'm asking you, begging even, that you see how much we have already been punished. How much _I_ have already been punished. What crime have we committed? Against you? Against humanity?"

John's harsh gaze slowly softened. "You have a lot of courage for such a young girl. I'm sorry for what you have lost."

I sighed. "Why do I hear a "but…" coming on?" I asked quietly.

"Look kid, life's tough, and I really don't want to make you suffer more than you already have. None of this is your fault. But that doesn't change the fact that your brother is a powerful warlock. He may not go out killing people every day of the goddamn week, but he's capable of it. And it's my duty to ensure that doesn't happen." He explained, his gaze hardening.

I bit down hard on my bottom lip for a second, trying to phrase what I wanted to say just right. "You, you were military, right? I'd guess Marine Corps from your clearly no-bull-shit policies." I began, and then rushed through the rest.

"Are you telling me you aren't _capable_ of hurting people? Aren't you capable of killing someone while blindfolded, with one hand tied behind your back? How does that make you any different than my brother?" I demanded.

His piercing eyes widened a fraction of an inch. "Interesting theory, kid." He conceded. "My 'no-bull-shit policies', as you refer them, have gotten me this far, why should I take a chance on your brother?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes. Hadn't we just gone over this? "Okay, first of all, I have a name. It's Andie, not _kid_. And let's go through this one more time. My brother has done nothing to warrant your apparent disregard for his _humanity_. Yes, he _can_ kill with the power of his mind, but he doesn't, because he has only the utmost respect for human life. Something _you_ obviously lack." I snapped, my temper finally rising.

John Winchester began to laugh.

"Where did Dean _find_ you?" He asked, between chuckles. I glared. I was not the latest Happy Meal toy for god's sake.

"Find me? What does that matter? And what does Dean have to do with anything? You sent him to kill my big brother and my best friends, and he used me to get close to them. Honestly, if we're talking morality here, my family has yours beat." I ranted. John looked astonished for a minute, before cracking into another wave of laughter.

"Okay, okay, _Andie_." He said, stressing my name. I nodded in approval, though I was still glaring. "What exactly are you asking me to do? Just pick up and leave and forget this whole mess? I have no guarantees that the Sons of Ipswich are going to behave themselves, and I won't take that kind of a chance." He pointed out. I sighed disgustedly and stuck the keys back in the ignition, turning on the truck and flipping back on the windshield wipers.

I was momentarily sidetracked when the same song as before came back on the radio.

_  
They looked backward and said goodbye...she had become like they are  
She had taken his hand...she had become like they are  
Come on baby...don't fear the reaper_

I casted a sidelong glance at Daddy Winchester as the words of the extremely-ironic-yet-totally-coincidental song really sank in. My mind started to race as I pulled my truck back onto the road and headed back toward the highway.

A million possibilities seemed to stretch out before me, and I took a deep breath before voicing the one that would change my life forever. "I'll make you a deal." I said, staring straight ahead resolutely.

"What kind of deal?" He asked, and I could hear the contempt in his voice.

"A... guarantee." I said, tightening my grip on the steering wheel.

"Oh, and _how_ exactly are _you_ going to do that?" He retorted. I could feel my whole body shaking slightly as I comprehended the consequences of my actions.

"My brothers, my family, you leave them be, you leave this place be. They won't hurt anyone, _ever_." I promised. John laughed once, the sound mocking.

"And just what exactly is going to ensure that? What kind of warranty will I have?" He asked, and I could tell he was beginning to lose any respect he might have had for my intellect.

I prayed that my voice wouldn't crack embarrassingly. "Me. I'll be your warranty. Take me with you, teach me to hunt, and I will make sure my brothers know that if they slip up it is on _me_. I'll be your leverage- trust me, it's the best warranty you'll _ever_ get." I said grimly, as I pictured Caleb's face when I told him of my most recent idiotic move.

There was a deafening silence as I slowed my truck at the city limits. It wouldn't be much longer until we were back at the apartment, and I wanted his answer by then one way or another.

Five minutes later I pulled into a parking spot and once again shut off the engine. I waited for a moment before shifting in my seat to fix John Winchester with a defiant glare. "Well…? Take it or leave it." I said resolutely.

The words hung in the air between us, almost threateningly so. I wasn't sure if I was shocked or not when he stuck out a large callous hand toward me. "You've got yourself a deal, ki- I mean, _Andie_." He said, as I reached out and shook his offered hand once.

"Okay, deal."

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**review!!! you know you want to!!**


	11. Chapter 10: newton's third law

**I know. I know. Y'all might consider this a cop-out. If you completely hate me now and can't believe you waited so long for it to end like this, please accept my sincerest apologies. **

**Let me be clear, this is not the end; just the end of part one. There will most definitely be a part two to follow—if my readers don't all kill me after this. I understand this isn't how readers expected this chapter to go, but if you can forgive me, then I can get to the real fun… Andie vs. Chase, anyone?**

**Let me know what you think!**

_**~wwsadd**_

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Chapter 10: Newton's Third Law

It wouldn't be until much later in my life that I would fully come to understand the consequences of my actions.

At the time, however, I did understand these things. I was going to have to lie to protect my brother, and his best friends… my best friends. I was going to have to force myself to walk away from the only family I felt I had. Oh, and I was going to have to face head-on the wrath that would be Dean Winchester.

John, it turned out, would be my biggest ally in this endeavor.

I guess I never exactly understood Dean the way I thought I had, because he was _pissed_ when his dad told him I'd be joining their asinine little hunting brigade.

Don't get me wrong, he didn't start yelling or throwing things the way Caleb would have, but he went so still I thought he might be having a stroke. Abruptly, he crossed the room and grabbed me by the hand; yanking me out the door and down the old steps.

It took him a few minutes to pull himself together enough to speak.

"Are you clinically insane?" He finally managed to ask.

I tried to laugh, but the look in those eyes I'd fallen in love with kept me from doing so. "Probably." I answered shortly instead.

He snorted. "Great. That's just fan-fucking-tasic! Try to follow along here okay? John Winchester is the last person in the world you want to screw with alright? He is quite possibly the most dangerous person in the world for you to be making deals with."

I sighed. "Look, Dean… I've got to do what's best for my family. Now you and your father believe that the Sons of Ipswich are evil; or at least capable of it… and I'm not asking you to trust them…. I'm asking you to trust _me_. Think you can manage that?" I asked, putting enough force in my words to make it a challenge.

He inhaled sharply, and seemed to be holding his breath. I started counting in my head, telling myself not to worry until I'd counted all the way to a hundred. Finally he sighed. "Okay. Fine. But there are some ground rules; understand?" He said severely.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Ground rules? What is this, the third grade? I get it Dean, Daddy Winchester equals dangerous… I'll tread carefully around him. What else could you possibly have to insist on?" I asked.

He looked like he was holding back a laugh. "Okay, A) never call him that to his face. B) follow my lead with Sammy, we don't tell him everything—trust me, it's not worth the nightmares. C) anything my dad tells you to do… do it, and don't ask questions. And D)…" Here I cut him off.

"Christ Dean, how long is this freaking list?" I complained, wondering if I needed to start taking notes to get my point across.

He chuckled, reaching out and grabbing my hand. "No, D's the most important one." He protested. I raised an eyebrow critically, daring him to continue. "D," he insisted, "you have to _promise_ to remember that no matter what my dad says or does… I'm looking out for _you_." He said, his words getting so soft near the end that I had to lean toward him to catch them.

My heart beat erratically, and my breath caught in my throat. I took the last step between us, letting myself be wrapped in the arms that made me feel so safe. I believed him… trusted him, after everything that had happened in so short a time.

"I promise." I murmured.

I pulled back when I heard the door behind us open. "When I told you guys to get a room, I didn't exactly mean out here." I laughed, reaching out to ruffle Sam's dark hair as we re-entered the dim apartment.

"Brat." I said good-naturedly. He grinned.

… …. …..

It didn't take John long to decide we needed to leave immediately. "Kid, go talk to your…_family_, and meet us back here in an hour."

I gave him the dirtiest look I could manage. "Call me _kid_ one more time John, I dare you." I muttered. The older man laughed.

"Careful, or I might actually decide I have a use for you." He said, his tone clearly indicating he was joking.

I smirked. "Oh? And what might that be?" I asked.

"Demon Bait." He stated, shoving one last rifle into an overstuffed army-duffle bag. Dean made a disapproving noise from where he was sitting at the kitchen table.

I laughed though. I was feeling more by the minute that John Winchester and I were going to get along just fine. Glancing around at the array on the table, I pointed out to my new friends that it sort of seemed like we'd turned the apartment into an occult shop.

"What the hell is this?" I asked jokingly, picking up a small clear vial. There was an ornate silver cross on one side that matched the stopper. It looked like vodka to me.

John smiled grimly. "Holy water. Go on, take a swig." He challenged, and I could again decipher a mischievous glint in his eyes. I shrugged nonchalantly. I was never one to back down from a challenge. I quickly unscrewed the stopper and upended the small bottle into my mouth. It tasted like very stale Aquifina.

I heard three simultaneous gasps of horror. Glancing around the room I noticed that they were all staring at me with their mouths open. I thought Dean was going to cry until I started to snicker. John sighed. "Contrary to popular belief, there might be hope for you yet." He finally said, apparently struggling to return to his earlier joking manner.

"Wo-ow." I teased, drawing out the word into multiple syllables. I moved the few feet it took and fell lightly into Dean's lap. "I'm flattered that you had so much confidence in me. Maybe you need me to tattoo 'I am human' on my forehead so you don't keep forgetting?" I asked sarcastically; leaning over to swiftly kiss him on the cheek.

His eyes landed on the silver pendant around my neck and he tugged on it gently. "I'll try to keep that in mind." He finally said, and when his eyes met mine I was swept back into the memory of the night I met him. In that moment I knew that I was making the right decision; not only for my family, but also for me.

First, though, I had to deal with Caleb; and that, unfortunately, was going to involve the biggest lie of my life.

…. …... …

Dean dropped me off near Spenser's front entrance, telling me he would wait in my truck. My feet felt like they weighed a million pounds as I dragged myself up the stairs and down the hall to my room.

The key in the lock made a resonating sound that sent an actual shiver down my back. I scolded myself quietly. "Get yourself together D; you won't fool anyone at this rate, not even yourself." I muttered quietly.

"Where in God's name have you been?" I flinched, stepping into my room and closing the door behind me.

"Calm down Kate, obviously I'm in one piece." I joked, mentally adding 'for now' on in my head.

She wasn't going to calm down, that much was clear. "No dammit! You crossed a line this time Andie. I know you think it's funny to literally scare your brother to death, but this time you went too far. Caleb is a good guy; and he doesn't deserve this from you. It's time to grow up!" She ranted.

I nodded in agreement. After all, she was absolutely right. My concurrence only angered her further. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself? Where's the brilliant excuse?" She asked, her voice raising another octave.

I shrugged, moving over to my closet and pulling out some jeans, socks, and my only pair of sweats. I tossed them into the small duffle bag that I yanked out from under my bed. "I don't have an excuse Kate. You're absolutely right." I said, hoping I sounded sincere.

She huffed. "Don't be a smart-ass D. I've never seen any of them with that expression on their face. Scared the hell out of me. Whatever you're mixed up in, I suggest you just tell them what it is and let them handle it so that they don't all die from stress." She snapped.

I threw my hairbrush, toothbrush and the small box of my favorite jewelry on top of my clothes and dropped my journal on top of it all before forcing the zipper shut. I slipped the strap over my shoulder and grabbed my keys from where they had carelessly been left on the floor by my bed.

Sighing, I straightened up and turned to my friend. "Kate." I said, and waited for her to calm down enough to really listen to me. When she motioned for me to continue, I took a deep breath.

"Have you ever loved someone so much that you can't even explain it to yourself? That every decision you make becomes about them instead of about you?" I asked desperately, praying she wouldn't think I was crazy.

Her eyes widened. "You've known Dean for less than a month. If you tell me you're eloping, I swear to God it will be front page on tomorrow's evening edition of the Ipswich Inquirer. You're sixteen; you have the rest of your life to make stupid mistakes like a Vegas drive-thru wedding." She said severely.

I would have laughed if I hadn't been so close to crying. She wasn't seeing my point at all. "I wasn't talking about Dean. I mean, he's great, but neither one of us are even legal adults yet. Please give me more credit than that." I begged. I didn't wait for a response.

"I meant my brother. I meant Pogue and Ty and Reid. They're my family Kate. And right now… I'm not doing this _to_ them, but _for_ them. I know that you don't understand, and I'm not asking you to. Just believe me when I say that I never wanted things to happen like this, but right now the best thing for everyone is for me to leave quietly." I said, moving to open the door.

She seemed to be at a loss for words. "B-b-but where are you going? What's going on? Are the Sons in trouble?" She asked, her voice becoming shrill.

I hastened to cut her off before she reached hysterics. "No! This isn't daytime T.V. Kate; just high school. Everyone's fine. But you and I both know that I wasn't ever cut out for this prestigious boarding school bull shit, and it's time for me to move on." I lied. Well, mostly lied.

"You're… running away from home?" She asked, clearly astonished.

I laughed. "Something like that. Gotta give people in this two-bit town something to talk about for the next decade, right? Besides, can you honestly tell me that Caleb doesn't need a break from little-sister duty? I'm going to give him a heart attack some day, you said it yourself. He's better off just letting me go… get the hell out of this place and start fresh. And I'll come back—I promise. I need space to figure out my life, and they need to give it to me—or we'll end up killing each other someday." I pointed out. It was believable because it was true.

She nodded reluctantly. "So what do I tell them? They aren't going to be too happy about this… I mean, I know you're right but how am I supposed to convince them of that?" She asked.

I pulled a sealed envelope out of my bag and handed it to her. I'd all but super-glued it shut. No one needed to read that but the person it was intended for. "Just give this to Caleb, please. It explains everything in the best way that I know how. And tell him for the love of all that is holy not to worry about me. This is what I wanted… And… tell him… tell them all how much I love them." I said, my voice catching as I struggled to say everything that needed to be said.

She pulled it from my grasp and I hugged her quickly. "Be good. I know that's a challenge for you." She said sternly, wiping the tears from her eyes. I giggled.

"I'll try… really really hard." I promised. "Bye girl; See you." I murmured, making as quick an exit as I could. Dean was leaning against the side of my truck. He pulled my bag from me and set it on the ground, before tugging me into a tight hug.

"You don't have to do this D." He said forcefully. I felt his heartbeat against my ear, and I gave myself a moment to collect my thoughts.

When I pulled back I knew the smile on my face was steady. "Yes. I do." I said, unlocking the door and jumping up into the passenger seat, letting Dean pull the keys from my hand as he started the ignition and backed out of the parking-lot; one hand securely on the steering wheel, the other twined with mine.

I let my eyes linger on the bricks behind us as they got smaller; until they disappeared altogether. I knew I'd left a piece of my heart there; and sent a prayer to heaven that someday I'd be back to claim it. Sighing, I turned and faced whatever mysteries my future held; knowing that for now, I was not alone.

* * *

**  
Ok. So I felt like this was a decent place to end it. Because let's face it, if she had tried to tell Caleb she was leaving in person, she would have gotten herself locked in a tower or something. **

**Like I said, this is just the end of part one. There will be a sequel, that will, of course include Chase and Sarah (and probably Dean).**

**But the big question for my readers is this… I was going to have Andie's letter come out in pieces throughout the sequel… by the end you would know exactly what she had written to Caleb.**

**The other idea I'm toying with is uploading it as a sort of "epilogue" to Blood and Water… Which means you'd get to read it fairly soon in its entirety. (But it may kill some of the surprise in the sequel).**

**I'll leave it up to you—But only if you review!**

_**~wwsadd**_

**p.s. concerning the title of this chapter…. Newton's Third Law (of motion) states that for each action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. For anyone that was confused :) **


	12. Epilogue

**Thank you my lovely readers, for your wonderful reviews. **

_**Dark-Supernatural-Angel**_**: special thanks, as writing the epilogue this way was your suggestion! and to answer your question, I'm debating seriously between two different plotlines the sequel could take. one would include Dean as a major character, the way he was in this story, the other would focus solely on Andie and the Sons (and Kate and Sarah of course). **

_**Anyone with an opinion on this please share!**_

_****_

~wwsadd

p.s. yes this is short. no it's not a chapter. it's just a... blurb. to end on :)

* * *

Epilogue

A door banged open at the top of the thick stone stairs, revealing the scowling leader. He stomped quickly down the stairs, taking his place in the circle that was already assembled. "So…?" The blond asked impatiently, He was the only one willing to mess with Caleb when he was in this mood.

"He gave her permission to go… and he demanded that we leave her alone." Caleb growled, the mere memory of the conversation he'd just had with his father making him angry all over again.

"Why?" The youngest asked sharply, eyes flashing uncharacteristically.

"He didn't say. He just said it's 'for the best'." The eldest mocked, creating quote marks with his fingers.

"This is bull shit." The biker cut in. "So we're just supposed to sit around here and wait?"

"No fucking way man." Reid snapped. "You know how much trouble she's going to get into by herself."

"Finally, something we agree on." Caleb remarked grimly. The four boys sat in a tense silence for countless minutes, until Pogue's cell phone began ringing.

"What?" He answered tersely.

"Shit Pogue, there's no need to snap at me." His obviously-irritated girlfriend replied.

"Sorry babe. What is it?" He asked, trying to soften his tone, and not succeeding by much.

"Andie left you guys a note. You all took off like bats out of hell before I could give it to you. Just thought you should know it's sitting here…and it's probably got the answers you're looking for." She explained.

… … … … … …

Ten minutes later the Sons of Ipswich were gathered in a deserted corner of the library, a thin sheet of paper passing quickly around the circle, the clumsy scrawl of dark purple ink marked the entirety of one side, and half of the other.

"Wow." It was the first word uttered since they had all but torn the sealed note from Kate and left her bewildered in her room.

"Yeah… why didn't she just…?"

"Because she's Andie, and that's not her style."

"So… what do we do now?"

"I don't know… I guess we have to believe her, right?"

"Hell no we don't."

"_Reid_."

"Fine."

"I hate it when my dad's right."

"Me too."

"Me three."

"Me four."

_**The End**__ (For Now)  
_

**tune in soon for the yet-untitled sequel! (if you have suggestions for the title, by all means, share!)**


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